Many Lives, Many Selves, One Partner
by pyxydust
Summary: *HIATUS* (see profile) "I won't abandon you; I'll protect you, too; we'll be together." These were the promises made, and these are the promises kept. Across worlds. Across lives. Across time and space. Oneshots completed for Hoperai Week 2015. Stories for 2016 are in process.
1. Room to Breathe (Discontent)

**A/N** : For HopeRai Week 2015. **Prompt** : Discontent

 **Obligatory Disclaimer** : I don't own any part of FFXIII. Also... VERY long.

 **Summary** : Lightning's feelings in the New World become too much to deal with. Her search for peace takes an unexpected turn. After a millennium of conflict and chaos, will she finally find room to breathe? Post-LR (including Tracer of Memories novella) after everyone has been reunited.

* * *

 **Room to Breathe**

 **Front Range, Colorado Rockies, USA**

The brown leather suitcase was flung onto the bed with an emphatic huff indicating its owner's current attitude - frustrated. A zipper was quickly opened as the source of the woman's mood, a phone conversation with her sister, continued. "No, Serah. I'm fine." Lightning listened to her sister's concerns for the umpteenth time in the last four days. "Really. I'm fine. I just need some space is all." Aqua blue eyes rolled hard enough to cause pain as she listened to her sister's continued entreaties to return home. _So much for backing off._ _I swear, if she were_ _ **anyone**_ _else_... She resolutely ignored the mental flash of green and silver that's haunted her since they'd all reunited. Firmly she said, "Serah!" The voice on the other end of the call quieted. "I said I'm fine. I'll be in touch." She quickly pressed the end call button on her cell phone then turned it off. Gazing at the black screen, the elder Farron took a deep breath before pocketing the device.

Muttering to herself, the ex-soldier settled into the cabin she'd rented in the American Rockies. "It's absolutely ridiculous that I had to travel across an ocean to another continent in order to get some peace and quiet." Her clothing was placed neatly in the bedroom's dresser and closet then she tossed her shoes haphazardly onto the floor. Heaving a sigh, Lightning placed her toiletries bag on the bathroom counter before making her way into her least favorite room of any house: the kitchen. _Can't say I'm looking forward to my own cooking again_. She pulled open the pantry door and took stock of whatever essentials might be there. The brochure had advertised "All basic amenities provided, including basic nonperishables." Letting another hiss of aggravation escape, Lightning made a list of everything she'd need over the next week or so. She was **not** looking forward to shopping in town.

The two bedroom/two bath cabin was a faux-rustic building with all the modern conveniences Americans deemed necessary. A moderately sized wood stove was set into the wall between the main bedroom and living room. Most of the rooms consisted of light oak paneling and hard wood floors except the master bedroom which had wall-to-wall carpeting in a familiar sea green. _Don't think about..._ She shook her head as she cut off that thought. _Just don't think_. The two bathrooms were tiled in blues and greens that reminded her of the coastal waters along Old and New Bodhums' shores far more than they did the seascapes along the French coast. The kitchen was a modern wonder of stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, dark cherry cabinetry, and stark white linoleum. _Not that I know how to use half of this stuff. A skillet, a pot, some utensils, plates, and bowls. That's all I need_.

"Right." She picked up her keys, wallet, and shopping list. The door was quickly locked on her way to the small rental car. "Might as well get this out of the way." Thankfully, the engine started with no trouble despite the Spring chill that lingered. She swiftly slammed her door shut and began the twenty minute drive into town. Lightning drove along the curving road somewhat cautiously; no sense in careening over a cliff while in a mountain range surpassing the Alps in height and with no way for anyone to find her. "That will float as well as a lead balloon once Serah figures it out." A bleak smirk briefly passed over the young woman's lips. "I'll be lucky if she doesn't send Snow or Fang after me." She paused to consider the most likely scenario when the inevitable occurred. "Worse, she might send both once she realizes that tracking app she insisted on was deactivated and removed from my phone." A hollow chuckle followed the statement. "And she accused **me** of being overprotective before all that l'Cie mess." Another pause. "Aaannnddd I'm talking to myself now."

Shaking her head at the absurdity of her situation, Lightning pushed away thoughts of the many role reversals that hammered her their first six months in the New World. _Can't go there. Everyone's just worried; I simply wish they'd leave me be long enough to adjust._ She deftly pulled into the local grocery store's parking lot. Two more minutes found her determinedly marching through the aisles gathering her supplies. Another ten minutes saw her checked out and back on the road toward her haven for however long she chose to stay. The sun setting behind the mountains cast long shadows across the pavement. _I need to reach the cabin before dark so I don't become lost_. She pressed harder on the accelerator, zipping up the mountain in a race against nightfall. Unfortunately, she couldn't outrun her thoughts.

In her mind's eye, her family's faces materialized in sharp relief along with soul crushing guilt and despair. The years of separation, centuries upon centuries worth, added to her already heavy load of sadness and fear. Once everyone was found and there was nothing to distract her, it quickly became overwhelming. Lumina's reintegration turned an emotional boulder into an avalanche burying her. At that point, Lightning's normal coping mechanism, isolation, kicked in. Her choice wasn't well-received.

Her thoughts continued to drift back to when she announced she was leaving for an indeterminate period of time. Of course Serah wanted to know why and, more importantly, why **now** after they'd found each other again. Vanille was quick to jump on that bandwagon. Snow and Fang were vehemently against it, each for their own convoluted reasons shaped by their self-imposed exiles in Nova Chrysalia. Sazh was quietly accepting. And disapproving. Noel lent his support to Snow's and Serah's points while Yeul sat quietly and watched the tableau unfold. The only one who supported her choice was the one guaranteed to be hurt most by it.

A pair of jade green eyes topped by messy silver hair came to the forefront of her mind shoving the emotional knife deeper. The understanding and desperation swirling within those eyes over the previous four days were what drove her halfway across the world in lieu of staying relatively close to assuage Serah's concerns. _I just...can't. I can't do this_.

How could such a short time seem like an eternity? She'd lived an eternity, several eternities, in Valhalla without actually aging a day. The previous four days made her time as Etro's champion seem extraordinarily short in comparison, and she felt every second of her 521 years. _They don't understand. I need room to breathe._ She blinked rapidly in a bid to force the tears back. The only thing she succeeded in doing was pushing them onto her cheeks where she swiped at them with a vicious growl.

Once she reached the cabin, her thoughts continued to spin dizzily in her mind like an out-of-control hamster's wheel. Putting groceries away and making a light dinner were not large enough distractions to grant her respite. Lightning barely managed to finish the small bowl of soup because of her cramping stomach. _Great, now I can add not eating to the list of things worrying Serah and the others_. She headed to the living room to watch TV. After half an hour spent flipping through channels, she gave up and decided to try for some sleep. Although it was barely 7 pm local time, her body told her it was closer to 3 am back home. _Maybe I can actually sleep tonight_.

Sleeping was something the ex-savior had difficulty with since being reborn. Even when she managed to fall asleep, the nightmares that followed guaranteed that she couldn't rest. _I don't have much choice. Maybe a change of scenery will be enough_. With that thought, she changed into her pajamas and settled into bed in the secondary bedroom. _No way am I dealing with reminders like that carpet. I'd rather deal with cold wood floors_. She hastily shook Hope's image from her mind again. In no time, she drifted off.

 _Begin Dream_

 _Lightning sat upon Etro's throne tied down by the Chaos. She'd long since given up the struggle for freedom. No one had come for her in the end. Abandoned by those she'd sacrificed so much to save, repeatedly placing her wants and desires second to their best interests and needs, she watched as they carried on with life as if she never existed._ It's best this way. _This belief no longer held the bitterness the Chaos bred within her heart at bay._ It's Valhalla all over again, only this time I have no one to fight. No one to blame. They were so willing to leap at the chance to save me before. **He** was so willing. Why not now? _Tears, useless in their futility, coursed unchecked down her cheeks._

 _End Dream_

Lightning tossed and turned on the bed, distress obvious in her clenching hands and agonized countenance as tears ran into her hairline. Her voice, a haggard whisper raspy with exhaustion and misery, broke the cabin's silence. "Hope?" Subconsciously, Lightning reached for a hand that was no longer there, the hand she willfully abandoned a day and a half ago when she boarded her flight. "Why? I need you." Her voice rose to a shout, "Help me!"

The sound of her voice woke her; the absence of her partner broke her. Curling into a ball, Claire Farron finally allowed tears to fall as sobs wracked her body.

 **Villiers-Farron Residence, France**

A sprawling white and yellow farmhouse nestled amongst green hills in the French countryside. The group of nine people, closer than family in many cases, slept mostly peacefully in the warm maple and bright white interior. Postcard perfect, the setting was everything the residents wanted in the new world. All but one.

Peeking through sheer curtains, pale moonlight begrudgingly made way for the first inklings of a new day. Equally pale silver hair reflected the strengthening light. In the grayness of dawn, Hope dreamed.

 _Begin Dream_

 _He gazed upon Lightning's prostrate form held down by cords the same color as the glow emanating from his hovering body. He was now completely and permanently merged with Bhunivelze, to_ _ **her**_ _obvious dismay. Hope's rich tenor reverberated across the space between them as he descended. "I chose you to be my Goddess. We'd be together for eternity." His feet touched down upon the God of Light's crest near where she lay. His voice rose to a crescendo of pent-up anger and hurt as he approached her on foot. "How do you repay my esteem for you? You'd abandon me...AGAIN!"_

Cold sweat gleamed on Hope's skin where the bedding had been pushed aside by his restlessness. His eyelids alternately squeezed shut and fluttered as if trapped. His arms, lean muscles pulling and bunching in turn, reached for the woman he'd given everything to protect.

 _She flinched at his last statement and shuddered as he placed his hands, so much smaller than they should be, on her cheeks and lifted her eyes to his. He knew the expression on his face was more appropriate to his 1014 year old soul than the 14 year old body he now possessed. He couldn't bring himself to care; Hope had no desire to change it._ She will **know** me. _His voice softened as he read her pain and despair. "It doesn't have to be this way, Light." His thumbs stroked her cheeks lovingly. "Join me, and we'll create a world Serah will be happy to be part of." He pressed his lips to hers chastely._ **Accept** me. _Tears, his and hers, blended where their lips touched._ Finally, we'll be **together**.

 _End Dream_

"LIGHT!" Hope sat up like a shot. His right hand reached into space for the broken woman in his dream while his left steadied his body after his sudden change in position. As he blinked the nightmare away, a knock sounded at his door.

"Hope! You ok in there, kid?" Fang's voice carried through the wood easily.

Shaking his head in protest of her current favorite title for him, he answered with practiced calm. "Yeah. Just a dream." His body shook in protest of that particular understatement. "Sorry if I woke you."

"No worries." Fang easily gave him a pass despite not being a morning person herself. His estrangement from Lightning over the last few days and the stress it engendered hadn't gone unnoticed apparently. "Get some sleep. We'll figure this out at a more decent hour, yeah?"

A disgruntled twist of the lips and a matching "Yeah" were all the answer he was capable of giving.

It was not uncommon since being reborn for Hope and Lightning to "feel" each other even at a distance. Hope's hypothesis regarding that phenomenon consisted of three parts, and everyone agreed it was the best explanation they were likely to get. They were both remade by Bhunivelze to serve as deities of the new world - Light as the new Goddess of Death, and Hope as Bhunivelze's own vessel. They were able to speak to each other in the place Lumina confirmed was Lightning's mind (or heart or soul, he wasn't quite sure and his opinion was biased on this point anyway) before she confronted and defeated the God of Light. They saved each other's souls; their bond made them the only ones in their group who could have done so. It all added up to the same conclusion: He **knew** she was hurting now. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Nausea roiling in his gut and up into his throat were a good indication that sleep was no longer an option for the man. This wasn't the first time he'd dreamt of his time as Bhunivelze's pawn or of Lightning being defeated and replacing Etro in this world while he faded into the Chaos - forever separated from her. It **was** the first time he'd ever dreamt of himself merging with Bhunivelze. And Light in the position of submissive supplicant... **to him**?! A chill passed through his body and left the former leader of humanity a quivering mess inside. _**Never**_ _. Never,_ _ **ever**_ _would I want that for her. Never would I_ _ **do**_ _that to her._ Hope fought the urge to vomit as he rose swiftly from the bed.

His thoughts a whirlwind, Hope grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the adjoining shower. He turned the water up hot enough to generate a decent amount of steam hoping it would clear his head. _Light, why won't you talk to me?_ As he stood under the water, his thoughts drifted back to the argument instigated by Lightning's need to be alone and process everything that happened to her since their l'Cie days.

He knew it was coming for weeks but kept quiet hoping the elder Farron would confide in him before it reached boiling point. He thought if he gave her space, she'd be more willing to let him tag along. _Not the best idea I've ever had_. When she stated she was going to be away to an unknown location for an indeterminate amount of time, everyone's reactions were predictable. Even he felt a spurt of panic rise once he heard the word "alone" before he could beat it down. _I never expected her to leave me behind again_. And the old anxiety fueled their last two exchanges when he confronted her after Serah's initial meltdown and at the airport when he dropped Light off. _Why didn't I just leave it at "I'll see you when you get back?"_

 ** _Begin Flashback_**

Hope followed Lightning out to the gazebo Snow was building for Serah. The hullaballoo inside the house was still ongoing, and his partner wasn't the only one who needed to vacate the stifling atmosphere. He stood next to her as the silence settled around them. Eventually, he turned slightly toward her.

"Hey, Light." Hope waited for her acknowledgement then continued. "When were you going to tell me about this trip?"

Lightning gave him a flat look. "I just did."

Nonplussed, Hope simply stared back at her for a moment expecting her to add more. Gathering his thoughts again, he readied an arsenal of reasons why she needed to take him with her. She beat him to the punch.

"Look, Hope. I just...need to get away." Her eyes filled with unacknowledged tears and a vulnerability she hadn't displayed since they said their goodbyes on the Last Day. _She looks like she might shatter at a touch or if the wrong word is said_. In that moment, Hope decided to let her go for as long as she needed - after Serah got her to agree to some conditions he'd pitch to the younger Farron first.

Taking a deep breath she turned slightly away and tried to explain further. "I...don't know who I am any more. I don't know what I should do. Everything is...different. Strange." Lightning gazed into the far distance. "I don't...fit the way I did before."

 _You fit with me!_ Hope fought his fear back. He chose to take a conciliatory stance instead. "I get it, Light. Really." He took a shaky breath. He reached out and took her chin in one hand. Tipping her head up so she was looking at him again before releasing her, he asked, "Can I at least take you to the train station?"

Lightning's eyes widened. She was dumbfounded by whatever she saw in his expression. Tentatively she answered, "Actually, I'm thinking of going further than the train can take me."

Caught off guard again, Hope blinked at her a couple of times. "Oh-kay." He shook the disorientation off, his aggravation rising with his dread. "Where, exactly, are you thinking of going?" His voice became noticeably clipped. Lightning stiffened her posture; Hope ignored the warning.

Whatever feelings blindsided her seconds ago, they seemingly vanished as she continued in a much firmer voice. "North America. Maybe Australia. I haven't decided yet." Lightning turned fully toward him, squaring her posture against his. "I might even do a world tour. There are cruise ships that do that kind of thing for six months out of a year."

Hope barely stifled the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration; he closed his eyes as the terror of losing her resurfaced with a vengeance. He forgot his earlier decision to let her go for now in the face of overwhelming emotion and the oncoming confrontation. "Seriously, Lightning? You'd leave us for that long?" _Leave_ _ **me**_ _?!_ "And you don't even know where you'd go? Serah won't go for that, and you **know** it!"

"Last I checked, **Mr. Estheim** ," Lightning's hard voice and phrasing pulled Hope's attention from his internal conflict back to her, "I didn't **need** Serah's permission to do anythi-..." Much to her chagrin and fury, he cut her off.

Hope spoke quickly in an effort to get his point across. "I know you need to get away. That you need to figure things out. I get that. I don't have a problem with that." His volume increased with each sentence. "But to go off half-cocked?! You have to be kidding me!" Hard jade green eyes glared into equally hard aqua blue. "This is just like your personal war on the Sanctum after Serah crystallized." Lightning tried to refute his accusations. Hope spoke right over the top of her while counting each point on his fingers. "You **don't** know where you're going. You **don't** know how long you'll be gone. You **don't** know why you're leaving," he shot her a pointed look when she tried to counter his last point, "not really." His gaze softened into a pleading expression, "At least figure those parts out before you go."

That last statement and his slight back down seemed to defuse her irritation a bit, but only a bit. Lightning crossed her arms across her chest before turning away from him. She stomped three steps away, back rigid. Hope desperately searched for a means of dispelling the sudden animosity between them. _I get it; I do. I just...can't. I can't let her go without knowing she'll be ok. I have no room to breathe when she's gone._

Seconds later, Serah and the others walked into the suffocating, volatile silence between the two. In true Serah-fashion, she ignored the elephant in the gazebo to focus on what she could address. "Alright, Lightning. I'll back off, and so will everyone else," Serah levelled a Lightning-inspired glare at the rest of the group causing them all to nod, "as long as you agree to the following conditions. First, you have to take your phone. Second, you have to call me or Hope once a day. Third,..."

 _ **Fast Forward Two Days - En Route To The Airport In Paris**_

An awkward silence filled Hope's car as he drove Lightning to Paris for her flight. He was relieved she agreed to all of Serah's conditions, and he was particularly ecstatic when Serah told him on the sly that she'd added a tracking app to her sister's phone to alleviate her own misgivings. _At least_ _ **I'm**_ _not the stalker_. Her sister also insisted that Light either fly out of the regional airport or let Hope drive her to Paris. She didn't want Lightning alone on the long train trip to the capital, and she knew the others would drive the ex-soldier crazy. She was the only other option, but she'd burst into tears if she drove - further aggravating her sister. Lightning's acquiescence to this request and subsequent inability to find a regional flight to Paris that fit her schedule granted Hope his best chance to make amends before she left.

Trying to ease the lingering angst between them, Hope asked, "How long will you be gone?"

Lightning's impassive façade from the last two days remained. "The visa is good for six months."

 _Well, that's a non-answer_. They lapsed back into silence. Another forty kilometers passed before Hope tried to thaw the ice again.

"You're staying in the Colorado Rockies, right?" Lightning hesitated before nodding slightly. Taking a deep breath, Hope continued, "Are you planning on doing any site seeing or skiing?" She took so long to answer he began to wonder if she'd ever speak to him normally again.

"I haven't decided yet." Another minute or two passed with her sitting stoically in the passenger seat while Hope apprehensively tapped the steering wheel. She finally relented enough to offer a bit more insight into her plans. "I might just go hiking or camping. It depends on the overnight temperatures and how much snow remains in the area."

"Hmmm. I'd think you were done with hiking and camping for a while." Both allowed the memories of the non-stop crises that culminated with their arrival in this world to roll over them. Hope continued, "Then again, there's a certain comfort in the familiar without the pressures that turned it...complicated."

Lightning glanced over before relaxing completely. With her usual bluntness and newly acquired candor, she changed the subject. "You know, I really appreciate your support in this." She glanced over at him. "I know this isn't easy for you. In a way, it's easier for Serah..." At this, she seemed to run out of words for what she wanted to say.

Hope smiled slightly before reaching out for her hand. "It's ok, and you're welcome. For the support, I mean." He squeezed her hand before releasing it. Hesitantly he continued, "And I'm sorry I fell to pieces on you a couple of days ago. That was **really** not how I wanted the conversation to go."

Softly, almost too quiet to hear, she agreed, "Yeah. Me, too." Hope relaxed into his seat mostly satisfied; that was probably as close to an apology as she was going to give for calling him "Mr. Estheim," at least for a while.

Several hours later, and with very little in the way of awkwardness, they arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport. Hope walked around to the trunk and pulled out Lightning's single piece of luggage. They'd agreed he'd drop her at the entrance instead of escorting her inside. No sense in him having to go through the rigmarole of security and red tape when he wasn't traveling.

He placed her suitcase at her feet and took a half-step back. "I guess this is it." _Damn it! This anxiety is going to be the death of me_. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Yeah. Let Serah know I'll call as soon as I land in Atlanta and again in Denver." Lightning bent down and picked up her bag. She turned to enter the airport.

Hope's hand reached out of its own volition to grasp hers much like he did in Palumpolum so many years ago. "Wait, Light!" When she turned to face him again, her shock over his actions was evident. "Please." He pulled her to him and placed a kiss on her cheek. Leaning his head against hers, he wrapped his arms around her waist with their hands still linked. "Please, be safe." He stepped away retaining her hand; Lightning stood immobile. "I know...I know you need this. I also know you're hurting." Lightning lifted her eyes to his, confusion swimming in her gaze. "Just...I need you to be safe." Hope reluctantly let her go and stepped further away. "So, please. Be safe." Feather light, he brushed a hand against her cheek. "For me."

 ** _End Flashback_**

Hope's reverie was rudely interrupted when the water ran cold. He quickly turned the shower off and stepped out, drying himself and dressing in the button-up and jeans he'd grabbed on his way in. Drying his hair as best he was able with the damp towel, he stepped into the room Serah and Snow let him stay in. He heard someone pounding on his door again.

Snow's voice echoed through the door. "Hope! We got a problem. Serah wants to see you." Fang's yelling from down the hall boded ill for the large blond when she got her hands on him. Hope's heart dropped to his shoes. _What could have possibly gone wrong? She arrived safely in Atlanta_ _ **and**_ _in Denver._ He'd already resigned himself to poor sleep until Lightning returned. _I'll have an ulcer long before these six months are up._

"I'll be out in a minute," was all he said. He flung the towel onto the towel rack and ignored the haphazard 'style' his hair always fell into when damp. When he opened the door, Snow was already halfway down the hall after dodging Fang's boot. Hope followed as he fell into despondency. His mood plummeted further when he saw a nearly panicked Serah pressing keys on her phone repeatedly.

Serah hissed, "Pick up, Sis." She ended the call as Hope and the others entered the room. She selected the tracking icon on her phone to open it, typed in Lightning's phone number, and waited for the map to come up detailing her sister's exact location. When the map finally loaded, it was blank. Snow's hand intercepted Serah's in mid-throw; it was the only thing that saved her phone from pulverization. Serah shot her fiancé a nasty look that reminded everyone of her more volatile sibling. "Where is she? She promised to leave the app and her phone on!"

 _Who knew she could resemble Light like that? She even_ _ **sounds**_ _like Light right now._ Hope was suitably impressed.

Snow was unphased as he took his fiancée's "Lightning Moment" in stride. "And y-," he quickly corrected himself, " **We** promised to back off. We didn't do a good enough job of it, and she probably turned the app off." Serah caught his slip but said nothing since he was **technically** correct.

"I don't care! She promised. Light never breaks her promises." The younger Farron's blue eyes appeared even bluer as tears filled them. Noel and Hope were no more impervious to this display of sadness and worry than Snow, albeit for very different reasons.

Snow wisely kept his mouth shut about Lightning's track record for keeping promises since she was pretty good about it after being reborn in the new world, and he didn't want to upset his favorite lady further. "Shall we go looking for her?" Noel and Fang nodded in solidarity with that idea while Hope was conspicuously silent. Just as Serah tried to answer, he spoke up.

"Hold that thought." Hope dodged around Yeul then squeezed between Vanille and Sazh with a hastily murmured "Excuse me." He half-jogged down the hall toward his room.

Sazh reached out to slow him down. "Now wait just a second, kid. Where you off to in such a hurry? If Serah's phone app won't work because Soldier Girl turned it or her phone off, what're you gonna do?"

Hope rounded on Sazh with an almost feral expression. _Seriously, Sazh?! This is half the reason she's not here!_

"She's not a **soldier** , Old Man. Not anymore!" Sazh held his hands up in a peace-making gesture while his eyebrows nearly rose into his hairline. With a deep breath, the Director of Academy Research, Team Alpha was on full display complete with a reticent demeanor and coolly composed voice. "As for me, I haven't been a **kid** for far longer than I care to think about." Hope spun on his heel and continued toward his room. "Now, **if** you'll excuse me, I'm getting my laptop to see what more processing power and this brain," he tapped his temple, "can figure out." _They just...They don't get it. They can't. Light and I are partners, completely and irrevocably. It's not a question of can or can't; there simply isn't any other choice. I'll find her._

Hope entered his room and closed his door carefully and with almost painful precision. An uncomfortable silence descended upon the group while everyone processed Hope's very atypical behavior.

"That went well." Vanille's chirpy voice broke the charged atmosphere.

"How do ya figure, Vanille?" The younger woman simply shrugged so Fang turned her attention to Sazh. The ex-huntress gave him a pointed look. "You know Sunshine'll have your head if he runs off, right?"

"How was I supposed to know he'd take it like that?" Sazh's bemusement was obvious to everyone. "The question needed to be asked; the tracking application is **off**. S'far as I know, there's no gettin' around that."

Noel spoke up at that point. "Yeah, but Sazh, if anyone can figure out how to find Lightning, Hope can."

Snow put his two cents worth in next. "Hope also has a point in that Light isn't a soldier, or anything else familiar to her, in this world. That's probably a big part of her problem." Everyone except Serah looked at him in surprise. "What? I'm not **completely** clueless, even when it comes to Lightning."

Serah snickered at him behind her hand. "It helps that we've talked about this, too."

"Heh." The large man shrugged bashfully. "It doesn't make it less true."

Yeul spoke into the silence startling everyone. Her avoidance of conflict was well-known, and everyone respected it on pain of Noel's displeasure. When she did step into tense situations it was always a surprise. "Perhaps we should leave Hope alone to figure this out."

Sazh countered Yeul's point. "He's in no condition to be left alone. We all know how he gets...got in the Old World, even as a kid. Do any of you," he pointed his finger individually at each person, "really think **that's** changed?" No one met his eyes except Yeul.

"That's exactly why we need to be supportive without being confrontational." Yeul approached the older man and carefully set her hand in the crook of his elbow keeping his attention. "We all have ties to each other. It's how we found each other, remembered each other so we could be found, in this world." Emerald green eyes older than the girl's apparent years gazed at each of them in turn. "We each have ties stronger than the rest to one other person." Melancholy muddied the bright green. "Hope and Lightning have stronger bonds than the rest of us because of... **Him**...and the last thirteen days." She dropped her hand and took a step back into Noel's near-embrace. "Telling either of them to avoid each other or their needs in any way is like telling them to stop breathing." Her gaze turned piercing. "They can't do it **and** continue living."

 **Several Hours Later**

"Come on, Light. Call." Hope finished the last bits of code on the stealth tracking app he created in the hours since he left the others in the dining room. _I guess I_ _ **am**_ _the stalker._ A scowl appeared as he was reminded of last night's nightmare. _**Never!**_ _I'll_ _never_ _hurt her. She's hurting and needs me...us_. He shook his head just as his phone rang. He waited for Lightning's number to appear on the caller ID before he picked up.

"Hey, Light." A more natural smile replaced the scowl as they continued speaking. "Yeah. Serah wasn't pleased." Hope chuckled at the disgruntled grousing coming from his companion. "No. I think you're safe from an imminent Snow and Fang invasion. At least for now."

He looked over at the code on his laptop. _It's now or never._ He saved the program on an SD memory card and removed it from his laptop. "Hey, Light? Can you hold on for a sec, please?" At her query, Hope quickly reassured her, "No. It's nothing major. Just something going on with my phone, and I don't want to drop the call...'Kay. Thanks." He inserted the SD card into his phone and selected the appropriate icon on his phone then selected the memory drive's icon before resuming the conversation.

"So, how's America?" _Just a few more seconds, and it will have transferred over. Then, when she hangs up, it will install automatically._ Hope shook off his guilt. _Sorry, Light._ "Is it really going to be that cold?" He shuddered in sympathy at the subzero wind chills Lightning told him her area was expecting. "So what you're saying is you're **not** going camping or hiking any time soon." A pause followed by a robust chuckle was heard down the hallway as he opened his door; it drew the others' attention since it's a sound they haven't heard from the young man in a very long time, if ever. "Right. In what? I don't think Vanille has that bear skin anymore." The researcher spluttered incredulously, "A yeti skin?"

Hope walked out of his room and turned toward the back yard intending to carry on the conversation outside in the gazebo. "No. I don't doubt you could skin a yeti if they exist. I just don't think they do." He shook his head with a large smile cracking his face in two. "Well, if you find one, I want first dibs on hair and skin samples." He stepped outside the door into the yard. "Hey! I'll have you know it's for science." Shaking his head, he continued. "Seriously! How else am I supposed to get credit for discovering a new species if I can't prove the genetic code is different from a bear's or something?"

Snow and Serah were enjoying a cup of tea on the patio as Hope walked by. They lifted their hands in greeting, and Hope returned the gesture. He nearly tripped with a gulp and wide-eyed shock. "No! NO! That's not what I meant." He stopped dead with furrowed brows. "Of course I'll credit you with the find. It's just...face it, Light, you don't know anything about genetic decoding and such."

"Wha-?! How did pointing out you're not a science geek mean I don't think you're smart?!" Snow spat his tea all over his lap in an effort to keep the fluid out of his nose while Serah covered her giggles behind her hand. Hope glared at them both. As Lightning continued, he began to whine. "Now I'm back to being Mr. Estheim?" Loud guffaws were heard over the phone. "Light!" Serah smiled at the banter between the two on the phone. It had been lifetimes since she last heard her sister truly laugh.

"Alright Little Miss Sunshine." Hope grinned wide at his ex-mentor's response. "Dangerous ground, huh? Well, it's not like I haven't been there before." Another pause. "Yeah, I know. It's really brave when you're half a world away." His shoulders drooped at the reminder of the distance between them. _When are you coming home, Light?_

"Yeah. I'll talk to you later." Forcing a bit more cheer into his monotonous response, Hope did his best to let Lightning go without any emotional baggage from him. "I'll tell Serah and the others you said 'Hi.' Deal?" Taking a deep breath, Hope dared ask for the one thing he needed for his own piece of mind and so his tracking app would work. "Hey, Light. Do me a favor, would you?" At her acquiescence he continued, "Keep your phone on this time. You promised before you left with no conditions." He nodded as she explained why she'd turned the phone off in the first place. "Yes. I know. I think your point's made, though. I doubt Serah will call you as long as you keep your phone on for emergencies and call one of us at least once a day." Hope's gaze focused on the horizon where the late afternoon sun painted the landscape gold. "Take care, Light. We'll see you when you get home."

Hope disconnected the call as he stared into eternity. _I miss you, Lightning_.

 **Colorado Rockies**

 _...See you when you get home_. Lightning's smile faded to a shadow of itself. Hope's last statement echoed in her mind. "I don't know when that will be, Hope." She gave passing notice to the "Installing Updates" screen on her phone. _Figures. Still, if Hope can keep Serah away from the guilt trips, I'll keep the phone on_.

The mid-morning light, tinted green by the surrounding trees, streamed in through the eastern facing windows. The kitchen was less than inviting, although the woman's stomach was insistent about investigating the breakfast possibilities anyway. She quietly snapped, "No one asked you," as her stomach growled. Biology wouldn't be denied however; another, louder, growl followed the first. "Tch. Fine." She shuffled into the torturous kitchen environs in the pink bunny slippers Serah bought her shortly after they found each other. Breakfast options were narrowed down to something quick and easy - a bowl of cereal and milk.

 _Not sure I want coffee after the dreams last night_. After finishing her meal and the cleanup, Lightning went to dress for a quick hike around the area before the cold moved in. _Not looking forward to the frigid weather, either. Should probably pick up some wood for the wood burning stove just in case the power goes out_. Throwing a fleece-lined jacket over her flannel shirt, jeans, and boots, she was ready to leave.

A smile graced her lips when she stepped outside into the chill wind. "Yeti skins. Please. Fleece works better and probably stinks less." Light shook her head as she reminisced about Hope's antics on the phone forty-five minutes before. She looked at her watch and saw it was nearly 10 am. _Better go pick up that wood. The cold is supposed to move in by 2 pm this afternoon._

With a determined step, she passed the little car she rented at the airport and headed down the road. _There's a small general store with some wood for sale down here about half a kilometer, mile, whatever they use to measure distance around here_. Lightning shook her head at the oddness of Americans. _Hopefully, my English is clear enough I don't have to resort to pantomime_. Shrugging that concern off as something she'll address later if necessary, she continued on. She reached the store about twenty minutes later. The small bell hung over the door rang as she entered.

"Hello? I'll be right there." The friendly voice was quickly followed by a middle aged woman stepping out of the back. "Ah, there you are! How can I help you?" Her name tag gave her name and position: Owner/Manager, Erin.

Lightning stared at the proprietress for a moment processing the woman's relatively rapid speech. "Sorry. I need to buy some wood."

"Of course. How many cord do you need, dear?" A glance out the windows showed the absence of a vehicle. "We'll deliver if you need it. That'll cost an extra five dollars if you're within a two mile radius and an extra ten dollars for every ten miles after that. Per load."

"Um. How many cord would you recommend if this storm causes a power outage?" Lightning focused on her purpose and paid particular attention to her annunciation.

Unperturbed by her customer's speech pattern, Erin answered, "Oh, probably not that much. These storms tend to blow in and out over a few days. Perhaps a half cord if you're staying in one of the cabins up the road, half pine and half oak, all well-seasoned. That should get you through for however long you're visiting." She smiled in reassurance.

"Let's do that, then." Lightning pulled her Visa card to pay. The transaction went smoothly. "Will the wood be delivered in time to beat the storm this afternoon?"

"Yes. My son, Ethan, will load and deliver the wood by 1 pm. Does that work for you?" Erin's friendly smile remained in the face of Lightning's brusqueness.

"That will be fine. Thank you." Lightning took her receipt and filled out the delivery form. "I'll be there soon so any time after 12 pm will be fine."

"We'll see you then, Ms. Farron. Have a good day."

With a brisk nod, Lightning walked out into the rapidly plunging temperatures. _Well, that went better than I thought it would_. She pulled her jacket closer around herself and zipped it up. Heavy, gray clouds moved in while she was in the store. _It got cold faster than I expected, too. So much for a quick hike_. Rapidly she returned to the cabin to prep the stove and find storage space.

Fortunately, there was a shed near her cabin that held some wood from earlier in the season. "I guess the wood can go here, then." She inspected the wood stove straddling the wall between the master bedroom and the living room. "Lovely. If the power goes out, I'll be sleeping amongst a vivid reminder." She glared peevishly at the sea green carpet. "Nothing to be done for it."

While she waited for the store manager's son to arrive, she pulled some of the older wood from the shed and set it up in the stove. By the time she finished, the clock in the living room showed 11:30 am. The wind picked up and the first snow flurries began to fall. She decided to light the stove as she settled in to wait for her delivery.

Ethan delivered the wood a bit early; he pulled in to the driveway at about 12:08 pm. Not one given to much chatter, especially with the storm moving in and other deliveries to make, he followed Lightning's directions to store the wood in the shed and quickly left. The ex-soldier closed and locked the door behind her and planted herself on the couch in front of the television like she did the night before.

The warmth and scent lulled her to sleep.

 _Begin Dream_

 _The wilds of Gran Pulse were everything Fang and Vanille said they were, and some things they failed to mention._ Like those flappy, fishy, sahagin, things _. Lightning was on watch while the others huddled sleeping around their well-screened fire. She'd broadened her patrol perimeter down to the stream contrary to Fang's advice because of a ruckus in that direction; it was too close to camp for her comfort. It was their first full night on the Steppe, and everyone was jumpy. Lightning more than most._ Stupid orobon and ceratosaurs just **had** to argue over a late night snack tonight of all nights. _A self-satisfied smirk appeared_. Well, they won't be hunting around **here** any time soon.

 _She approached camp picking water plants off her hair and from her uniform._ How did **that** get **there**? _Her internal grumbling was interrupted when the wind shifted. It brought the scent of smoldering wet wood to her attention. Instincts taking over, the soldier crouched down to diminish her silhouette in case something was looking and gripped her gunblade firmly. She drew and extended the weapon in a single, smooth motion._

 _A set of boulders lay between her and camp._ Where's the firelight? I should be able to see it by now. _Light stealthily circled the rocks. Peering around the last one's edge, devastation greeted her._

 _The campsite was a mess. Wood was scattered around the sodden landscape, inky smoke still rising from some pieces. What few supplies they'd managed to gather before nightfall were nowhere to be seen. Even their makeshift bedrolls were nothing more than waterlogged and singed scraps._ How did I **not** hear or see this?! _Training kept the horror in check, but nothing except finding each of her companions alive and well would address her shame at failing to protect them._ They can be angry with me; they have every right. Just...be ok.

 _Her eyes surveyed the scene before her._ No bodies, that's good _. Hearing nothing, she stepped further into the remnants of the clearing. She carefully approached the fire pit and began unraveling what happened._

Right. There's some ozone smell still in the air, and that singe pattern looks like one of Hope's thundaga spells more than a firaga spell. It's too large to be anything less than a -ga spell so they needed a lot of firepower. Because of many enemies or a smaller number of powerful enemies? _She circled out from the ruins of their fire._ Not much in the way of tracks. Plenty of water magic to go around, though; that probably washed away any tracks or evidence of ice magic that would've been left. I can't tell if they or their attackers used it. _A grimace settled on her face._ Hmmph. At least thunder and fire leave singe marks, and each of us has our own patterns. I can see Vanille's and Sazh's marks, too. Were they attacked from the air or was there just that much water used? The entire site is drenched!

 _Movement from within the boulders' shadow caught her eye. Spinning in a low crouch, Lightning shifted her blade into gun mode and aimed - ready to fire. Squinting, she barely made out a small form. She cautiously stepped closer. A glint of silver followed by a soft voice gasping "Light!" identified the figure as Hope's. Quickly, ignoring the rest of the mess, she approached him._

 _Water, earth, and blood muddied the boy nearly beyond recognition. "Hope! Hold on!" Lightning readied as many cure spells as her limited healing potential allowed. Kneeling beside him, she looked him over to find the worst of the wounds. Her field medicine training told her all she needed to know. Even magic couldn't save him. She cast the magic anyway. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't... I should've..."_

 _Hope reached up and weakly clasped her hand, stopping her casting. "Light...save...strength." Whistling pants escaped him, tearing at her heart in the process. "Others...near." His eyes dimmed as his hand fell limp. The bright light that prodded then guided her since before their confrontation with Odin vanished from this world._

 _And it was all her fault._

 _End Dream_

Lightning's eyes snapped open as she drew a shuddering breath. _Why? Why am I dreaming of losing him? Them? We're all together._ A firm blink allowed the pent up tears to escape. She gently wiped them away and sat up. _This isn't how this life is supposed to be_. In a surge of rage, her calm façade shattered; she took the decorative pillow behind her and threw it across the room. "This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

Her shout acting like a catalyst, Lightning launched herself from the couch and into the kitchen. She yanked open a drawer and reached for a knife and cutting board. Pulling open the refrigerator, she gathered some vegetables and meat for cutting. Violently wielding the knife as if it was her gunblade and the food was a behemoth in the Old World, her efforts to channel the unexpected ferocity of her emotions into something constructive were only partially successful.

Her vision kept blurring from her tears, and her lungs huffed like a bellows. "I don't...under...stand this!" She swept the back of her wrist across her eyes so she could see again. "I'm a...soldier...damn it!" She continued to talk to herself trying to figure out why she left home to begin with. "I'm a...protector!...His and...Serah's!"

In another fit of anger she chucked the knife into the wall across from her. "I don't...I can't...I'd never..." Sinking to her knees, Lightning huddled in on herself protectively. Without noticing her hands pulling at her hair, her thoughts continued their chaotic run between self-protective declarations and self-recriminations. _I'd never abandon him...I did. In the Vile Peaks. I summoned Odin...I didn't leave him to die...I withdrew into crystal. Left him to Bhunivelze...I wouldn't...I left him. Went to Valhalla. Chose to stay...I couldn't...I almost didn't make it...I promised to protect him...He died, repeatedly. In so many timelines..._

For the first time in the imperturbable woman's very long life, she saw no way out. With that realization, panic set in.

 **Villiers-Farron Residence, France**

Everyone noticed Hope's distraction at dinner. He and Sazh made amends for their earlier verbal tussle, but it wasn't enough to alleviate whatever was bothering the younger man. He barely touched the meal Serah prepared, and he was uncharacteristically withdrawn and fidgety even considering Lightning's absence. Not that anyone mentioned it. After clearing and wiping down the table, he went outside to the gazebo.

Five pairs of eyes watched him leave through the backdoor. Fang, Noel, and Vanille exchanged concerned glances. Sazh simply held Dajh close. Serah and Snow were in the kitchen finishing the cleanup while Yeul put the leftovers away. None knew quite what to say without risking the situation worsening.

"Daddy. Why's Hope so sad?" Dajh picked up quickly on Hope's melancholy. Naturally empathetic, he focused in on the most likely cause. "Is it because Miss Lightning's not here?"

"Somethin' like that, Dajh." Sazh squeezed his son a bit closer. _Leave it to the kids to hit the nail on the head._

"She'll be home soon, right?" Dajh wriggled in his father's arms until they were facing each other. Seeing his father's downcast expression, he continued, "Or Hope could go where she is. Miss Lightning would like that, I think."

Sazh didn't agree, but he wasn't going to tell his son that. _Ms. Soldier isn't one for close relationships even now._ Instead he said, "That's something for Lightnin' and Hope to decide. Understood?"

Dajh gave his usual sweet smile. "Okay, Daddy." He snuggled into the safety of his father's hug.

Unbeknownst to the Katzroys, Dajh's innocent suggestion started the wheels turning in one of their companion's heads.

 **Outside Thirty Minutes Later**

 _This is becoming my refuge, and it's not even finished yet._ Even that acerbic thought couldn't distract Hope from his internal disquiet. He felt impatient and hyper-alert, but there was no objective reason to be. He could only assume it was related to Lightning, and that he could feel it because of their unique connection. It had been building weeks before she announced she was leaving, and it came to a head once she actually left. _What's happening with you, Light? What's going on?_

He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and checked his tracking app. _She's still there, hasn't moved more than a few kilometers all day_. He thumbed over the screen to give her back what privacy he could. A creak of footsteps on wood drew his attention behind him. "You two really should say something when sneaking up on someone, you know." He turned to face Vanille and Noel.

Vanille flashed her trademark grin, the crooked one that said 'I'm uncomfortable and trying to hide it because this is important.' With her typical innocence she said, "Heya, Hope. Why are you out here?" Noel nearly facepalmed. Hope, used to her mannerisms, smiled a bit.

"I'm just checking a few things." Hope placed his phone in his jacket pocket. _I really don't want to get into this._ "Did you two come out to enjoy the stars, too?" He turned to gaze into the darkened sky.

"Actually," Noel braced himself for a confrontation, "we came out to see how you were doing."

Hope became preternaturally still, even his expression falling into a stoic mask. "I'm fine." Inside, his emotions started to churn. _We're_ _ **so**_ _not getting into this._

Noel and Vanille exchanged glances. She shrugged in acquiescence of however he chose to proceed; he fought back a wave of frustration before facing his friend again. "Look, Hope. We know you're having a...rough time of it right now."

Turning toward his concerned companions, Hope quirked an eyebrow at the massive understatement. "Whatever gave you that idea?" Sarcasm wasn't particularly helpful, but it **was** an outlet. _I'll take what small mercies I can get._ He watched as Fang and Snow walked up behind Vanille and Noel. _Next thing I know, Yeul and Dajh will come check up on me._

Noel continued unperturbed. "It's not like you to be this...this...jittery, I guess." The teen struggled to explain his concerns. "You've always been composed. You've rolled with the punches. Today you've been high-strung. Jumpy."

Fang took that opportunity to butt in. "The kid's right. You're antsy about something, Hope. We're just worried you might jump ahead of yourself." Compassion lightened her eyes. More than most, she understood leaving your partner because you couldn't do anything else.

Normally calm and bright, his eyes darkened several shades to the green of a storm-tossed sea as his emotional turmoil acquired a savage edge. Hope pinched the bridge of his nose trying to negate the explosion he could feel coming. "I really don't want to get into this. Certainly not tonight."

Snow approached and placed his hand on Hope's shoulder; it was all Hope could do not to knock the encouraging man's hand away. "If not now, when? You gotta do something, right?" Hope looked up waiting. "Just go to her. She'll be hap..." That was the final well-intentioned straw Hope could tolerate tonight.

"Happy to see me?! Is that what you were going to say, Snow?" Hope yanked his shoulder away from the larger man's grip. "No. She won't. Because even if she needs me as much as I need her, **she** has to realize that before I can help her." The smaller man spun away and paced to the gazebo's partially completed half-wall. "And she'll fight me tooth and claw if I approach before she realizes it." Placing his hands on the balustrade, he looked down hiding his face from the others. Worse in his friends' opinion, he seethed, whitened knuckles a testament to just how questionable his control was.

Hope broke the uncomfortable silence his previous words left. "Do you have any idea what it's like? I **know** she's hurting. It's been like champagne bursting unpleasantly beneath my skin for weeks." He turned his face up toward the stars winking in the velvet sky. Sounding lost, he continued, "Now? Since she left? It's like small blades pricking at me." He trembled at the shadows of memory his words evoked. "And today? It's like razor blades running up and down my body." His confession was met with awkward silence and feet shuffling.

Regaining his composure, Hope turned to face his friends. Struggling to defuse the mood, he said, "Look, guys. Uh, thanks for your concern. Really." Sighing, he stepped around them. "I think I'll just go to bed. See you tomorrow." Unconsciously he clenched his hands at his sides as he walked away. _This isn't how this life is supposed to be._

"I guess Yeul was right. There **is** something different between Hope and Lightning." Sazh's voice carried from the side of the yard after Hope re-entered the house.

Frustrated at his inability to help the man he respected above most, Snow snarled, "I guess we'll have to trust they won't destroy themselves or each other because of it." The others dispersed into their respective nightly routines with that less than promising wish in mind.

 **Several Hours Later**

Finally settling into a fitful sleep well after midnight, Hope dreamt of l'Cie days and desperate fears.

 _Begin Dream_

 _"Light! Wait up!" His legs were giving out, and he was falling behind. "Lightning!"_ Why won't she answer me? _Hope put on a burst of speed to no avail. Despite the Steppe sweeping away around him in a blur, he just couldn't keep up. He stopped to catch his breath._ Just a second or three, then I'll start again. _He kept his eyes glued to where he last saw his best friend._

 _A thundara spell suddenly lit the sky; it was closely followed by the rapid firing of a gunblade. This galvanized Hope into action like little else could. "Lightning!"_ She has to be ok. Fang's with her, right? _His concern grew when he realized he couldn't remember if Light was on her own or not. He took off at full speed._

 _As the adolescent approached the edge of the gorge the spells and gunfire came from, he dropped to his hands and knees._ Just like she showed me. Stay low. Stay quiet. My size is my best advantage right now. _He peeked over the edge. The carnage brought bile sweeping up his throat. He managed to swallow it down, barely._ Where's Light? _Just as he began to worry he'd lost her again, he saw the flutter of a crimson cape below him._ There she is.

 _Not wasting another second, Hope clambered down the cliff side._ Thankfully, it's angled so it wasn't that difficult. _Once he reached the bottom, he surveyed the area again._ Good. Nothing's here. _He stumbled over an ugallu carcass._ Well, nothing living anyway. Light doesn't leave much behind. _His lips twitched in amused pride for his mentor despite the grotesqueness of the situation. He crept to where he saw the soldier last. When he reached her, his world was annihilated._

 _"What?!" Eyes, now a flat steel gray, stared sightlessly into the sky. Hope held a quivering hand up to the woman's cheek. "Light?" Tears spilled as he registered the unnatural coolness of her skin. "Lightning? Please. Not you." He shook her gently, then roughly. Blood coated her from head to toe. Looking over the area, Hope realized she must've stumbled upon a few packs of what passed as wild dogs on the Steppe. "Where was Fang? Why didn't you wait for me?" His questions remained unanswered._

 _Hope looked up when he heard growling from his left. Three gorgonopsids had managed to avoid Lightning's slaughter of their kin. He closed his eyes in resignation and acceptance as they hunkered down and leapt for him._

 _A world without Light was one he didn't want to be in._

 _End Dream_

Hope jerked awake. Hands clenched to his chest over his heart, and tears soaked his pillow. Gasping for air, he sat up and wrapped his arms around his lean torso. The action did little to calm his breathing. He reached for his jacket and pulled his phone from the pocket.

 _Please be alright, Light. Be in that damn cabin_. He unlocked the screen and immediately went for his tracking app. The map showed her current location, still in the cabin. Hope's breathing eased somewhat. He flopped back on the mattress dropping his phone in the process. The feeling of something just under his skin continued. It was more subdued than at dinner, but it was still noticeable.

With a suddenness reminiscent of his days as Academy Director, Hope reached for his phone. He bought airline tickets for the next available flight that afternoon leaving Paris for the States. _Snow's right. We can't keep going on like this._ Decision made, he grabbed a blue duffel bag and began packing. Once he had a few days worth of clothes in the bag, he double checked his ID and passport and got up for the day. Glancing out the window he realized the sun had yet to rise. _It's going to be a long wait. I'll be there tonight, Light._

"Now. To tell everyone else I'm leaving." With a lighter step than he'd had in weeks, the young man stepped out of his room. He set his bag in the living room next to the front door before turning around and heading out the back. Hope watched the sun rise from the gazebo. _This place really is my haven away from Light._

 **Colorado Rockies**

Blearily, the young woman regained consciousness. _What? What happened?_ Her eyes felt sandpaper dry. She reached up to rub the grit away only to come away with wet fingertips. Her head ached. Pulling herself to a sitting position, Lightning surveyed the mess in the kitchen. "What am I doing on the floor?" Slowly her memories returned to her.

 _Right. I completely lost it because of a dream._ The hot laceration that thought dug into her heart countered the minimizing effect the words would normally have. She quickly lifted her hand to her chest. _This can't...I can't keep..._ She shook her head to clear the lingering cobwebs. "Just focus on what you can do something about. Everything else will have to wait."

She stood leaning heavily on the counter. The clock showed 3:12 pm, over an hour passed the time she stormed into the kitchen. She threw away the food she left out. Then she carefully prepped some more. Scooping the meat and vegetables into a pot, she put it on the stove for stew. As she turned away, an object glinted in the wall. _Great. The knife._ She washed her hands then removed the sharp object from its impromptu resting place. _Need to repair that or pay extra. Hmmph._

Gazing at the knife in fascination, Lightning contemplated the root of her current predicament. "Some savior I turned out to be. I can save the world, but I can't save myself. I can't be around the person most important to me without turning into a complete idiot or running away." She carefully wiped the blade down and put it away. "Nothing's simple anymore, is it?"

The TV proved a welcome distraction while she waited for her stew to finish. _Should probably call Serah._ Lightning shook her head at the thought. _No. The last thing I want to deal with right now is my sister's perceptive and oh-so-persistent questions about how I'm doing or when I'm coming home._ Faster than she thought possible, the afternoon flew by, and it was time for dinner.

Still preoccupied with **not** thinking about the panic attack and her subsequent loss of control earlier that afternoon, the young woman focused on immediate needs and routine. She cleaned up the dishes and stove and put the little bit of leftover stew into the fridge. Then she went outside and grabbed some wood for the night because, despite the nightmare the wood smoke triggered, it was very comforting. By that time, it was well after sundown. _I'll patch the wall tomorrow._

She went into the master bedroom and curled up in the middle of the bed. _Silly that the color of the carpet should make me feel closer to him._ The room was extra toasty thanks to the stove. She watched the snow fall outside the window. Slowly, imperceptibly, sleep overtook her. Again, she dreamed.

 _Begin Dream_

 _Serah's and Hope's crystallized forms served as the focal point of New Bodhum's central garden. Snow placed them there with Rygdea's help and Bartholomew's permission after Cocoon fell four years before. NORA House sat directly behind the garden looking out to sea. Lightning, who was never pulled into Valhalla, refused to go anywhere near the garden. Instead, she'd moved to the settlement below Cocoon to get away. Snow and the others didn't understand her avoidance of the area. Serah was her sister, and everyone knew how close she and Hope had become during the weeks between the Purge and the Fall._ They can't understand. They all have someone or something to hold on to. _Lightning, now a Lieutenant in the post-Fall military service, found herself in New Bodhum for a conference. The brass felt the casual air would be good for morale._

 _Her resignation letter in-hand, she wandered the garden paths looking for Captain Amodar. She stumbled around an over-grown bush and came face-to-face with Serah and Hope. Lightning came to an abrupt stop._ I've lost everything. _After a moment of stunned silence, her feet moved of their own accord, slowly shuffling closer to the two most important people in her life._ I tried. I tried to save you. I've done all I can. _As far as she was concerned, they were now as good as dead with no fal'Cie to awaken them and a goddess who seemed uncaring of their plight now that two worlds no longer hung in the balance._

 _Shakily, she lifted her hands - one toward Serah, the other toward Hope. Grasping their crystalline hands as best she was able, she held back the tears she had refused to shed over the past four years. For the first time since her own awakening, she spoke to them. "I've truly become Lightning. Without you, I have no purpose." She leaned over Serah's crystal and kissed her sister's brow. "Without you to guide and protect, I can't be Light." She stood on tip-toe, steadying herself on Hope's crystal before placing a soft kiss on his cheek. Her goodbyes said, her heart shattered into irreparable shards. Lightning continued her search for her old commander._ I'm truly alone now. _The darkness of her failure consumed her_.

 _End Dream_

"Don't leave me alone!" The rose-haired woman sat up quaking. Her breath rushed in and out of her lungs. The hyperventilating left her light-headed and headachy. _Again?!_ Lightning placed her head in her hands and let the tears flow. _I can't do this._ She slowly lay back down. Curled in a fetal position she bore silent witness to the passing of night into day. _What am I going to do?_

British Airways Flight 368 - En Route From London To Denver

 _That went better than I expected._ Hope sat back in his seat after stowing his carry-on bag in the overhead bin. Another twelve hours, and he should be landing in Denver if the weather cooperated. _Forgot about that snow storm Light told me about._ Even with the promise of cold weather to greet him, he was eagerly looking forward to the flight. Before placing his phone on flight mode, he double checked his tracking app. Lightning remained in place. "Wait for me."

Hope stared out the window ignoring the other passengers finding their seats around him.

 _ **Flashback**_

"I thought you said there was no point in goin' after her." Sazh was getting whiplash with the way Hope and Lightning were behaving over the last weeks, and his frustration was beginning to show. "That **is** what you told Snow last night. Ain't it?"

"Yeah, I know, Sazh." Hope nearly growled. He had expected questions; he hadn't expected to be raked across coals. "Wonder of wonders, I was wrong. Or if not wrong, going after her is more right than sitting here waiting for I don't know what." Always prone to speaking with his hands, Hope's nervous energy made his gesticulations even more animated and broad than usual. Fang gently pulled Vanille out of range with a pointed glare for the man. Hope smiled in apology.

Snow stepped in before Sazh and Hope could go nose-to-nose again. "It doesn't matter when Hope decided to go after Sis. The important thing is he's made his choice and is ready to go." He clapped the other man on the shoulder. "I say we send him on his way with a good luck." The older man snickered a little. "He just might need it."

Serah poked her fiancé in the ribs - hard. "That's enough out of you." Snow playfully grunted and rubbed his side. Ignoring his antics, she turned to Hope. "As for you... A moping Hope is not something I want to see in this house again. Understood?" Hope sheepishly nodded. "Then, let us know when you land and when you get there."

That was everyone's cue to gather around for hugs and well wishes. He may have been the leader of civilization in the Old World, but in this house he was family. And in this world, Hope Estheim had to follow the same rules as everyone else. And he was still short a visitor's visa.

 _ **End Flashback**_

Turbulence pulled Hope out of his memories. _Good thing Snow's still in contact with Lebreau, and she was owed a favor by that bureaucrat in the US' Parisian consulate. Otherwise I'd be stuck in France or the UK for another couple of weeks._ He rubbed at his arms as if that simple act could remove the skittering sensation under his skin. _There's another hour and a half drive once we land._

Hope looked around. Thankfully, the seats surrounding him were empty. _Better get some sleep while I can._ He stopped a flight attendant and requested a pillow and blanket. He then settled in for a nap.

 _Begin Dream_

 _Everything was silent and dark. He couldn't even feel air moving past his lips as he breathed._ Do I breathe? _He couldn't remember who he was, let alone where he was. All he knew was he needed to wake up sooner rather than later. Someone was nearby; someone dear to him. And that someone needed him desperately._

 _A scintillating, white light flashed over his skin blinding him. He felt air brush over his body._ Am I nude? _Then he took a breath. His relief grew as he felt familiar clothes cover him. Gentle energy crackled over his skin. The sound of crystal shattering softly accompanied him being laid on the ground by immaterial arms._ Mom? Is that... _"...you?"_

 _Hope sat up groggily._ A garden? What am I doing in a garden? _He looked over and saw Serah's crystal next to him. He stood and brushed his clothes off. He noticed footprints in the earth near Serah's crystal and what he could only presume was his crystal's resting place._ Wait. I **know** those prints.

 _"Lightning! Where are you?" He followed her tracks through the garden and into the town proper. In the strange ways of dreams, when he stepped onto the beach, Hope shifted from his adolescent self into his adult self. He stopped the nearest uniformed soldier._ Wow, there're a lot here. More than I'd expect for this sized town.

 _"Excuse me. Can you direct me to Sgt. Farron?"_

 _The person he stopped looked at him incredulously. "Lightning Farron?" Hope mutely nodded. "She resigned this morning and left. I don't know where she is."_

 _Hope stood shell-shocked._ Light, where are you? Why didn't you wait for me.

 _End Dream_

Hope's head hit the window with a _thunk_ as he woke. _Ow_. He quickly took stock of where he was and the time. He decided sleep was **not** on his list of things to do right now. _I slept over four hours?_ When the flight attendant came back by offering refreshments, he requested coffee. _Need to wake up and stay awake._

He stood and reached into his bag. Pulling out the book he bought at the airport, he opted to read. _At least I have something to do. Well other than worry about these dreams and Lightning, anyway._ Suitably distracted, the rest of the flight was uneventful.

 **Ten Hours Later - Outside Lightning's Cabin**

Phone out and tracking application on, Hope meandered through the cabins looking for Lightning's. The frigid air whitened his breath and caused him to shiver. _Guess this thing isn't as accurate as I thought._ The indicator showed he was in the right place, but it wasn't sensitive enough to pinpoint which cabin she was staying in of the five he was looking at. _She said she was staying in_ _ **a**_ _cabin_ _ **in**_ _the woods, not in a_ _ **cluster**_ _of cabins_ _ **near**_ _the woods._

Two had smoke lazily rising into the air from chimneys. One had lights on as dawn brightened into full daylight. _I'm not quite desperate enough to peek in windows._ A forceful breath more akin to a sigh than a chuckle burst forth. _Not yet, anyway_.

Not ready to give up, Hope dug through his memories of the days before she left. _What kind of car did Serah say she was driving?_ He continued talking to himself. "It's small. Silver, I think." He began circling the area for the third time in the last thirty minutes. This time he paid attention to the vehicles more than he did the cabins.

"That's it. Cabin 3B." He approached, slowing as he got closer. It was the cabin with the lights on and a small stream of smoke coming from the chimney. A familiar silhouette crossed in front of the window. Hope's hands began to sweat.

"What do I tell her?" He shook his head hard enough for his hair to whip back and forth. "Hey, Light. Yeah, I kind of, you know, stalked you with the replacement tracking app I hacked onto your phone a few days ago so I would be able to sleep while you were away." A slapping sound echoed as he facepalmed. _Didn't think that one all the way through, Estheim._

He shook his trepidation away. "There're some things you just do." Taking a fortifying breath, Hope donned his Director's façade before approaching the door. He lifted his hand and rapped firmly three times then stepped back to wait. _Hopefully this is the right cabin, or I'm going to feel like a bigger damn fool than I do right now._

The wait wasn't long, and he did have the right cabin. The young woman who opened the door, however, was a shadow of her usual, confident self. "Hope?" She gazed at him, masks fully lowered. Her eyes were red-rimmed and shadowed, her cheeks puffy. She looked like she hadn't slept or eaten decently in the days since she left. "What are you doing here?"

Hope stood, stupefied at the difference a few days could make. _I_ _ **knew**_ _there was something wrong._ "Hey, Light." He paused to calm his racing heart. "Can I, uh." _Stuttering, Hope? Nice. Real smooth._ "Can I come in?"

His question snapped Lightning out of her reverie. "Um, yeah. Sure." She stepped back enough so he could enter. "So, what are you doing here?" She gathered her fragmented composure and made a stab at normal conversation. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, exactly. It's just..." Light stumbled to a halt. _What am I doing? I can't pretend everything is hunky dory fine!_ She shook her head again. "I'm actually packing for home. You came at an interesting time." Refusing to look in Hope's direction, she meandered back into the master bedroom.

Hope studied the living room and the parts of the cabin he could see from it. A pillow, the one she'd thrown, lay lopsidedly on the couch; it was noticeably out of shape relative to its twin. Crystal powder was all that remained of a vase, broken when she threw the pillow. A broom and dustpan was placed carefully next to the mess. He followed her into the hallway. _What_ _ **happened**_ _?_

"Um. You're heading home? I'm surprised. You were pretty adamant about needing to get away and figure things out." His voice trailed off as he noticed the gash in the kitchen wall she hadn't yet patched. _That was made by a_ _ **knife**_ _. What the hell, Light?!_

"Uh. Light." He carefully approached her in the bedroom. "Is there anything I, uh, can help you with?" He gestured to her suitcase. "Um, packing? Maybe?" _Come on, Hope! You came here to talk to her. You're the only one who knows just how much she's hurting because she can't cover her moods with you anymore._ His skin crawled as his blood seemed to boil just underneath it. _Something is definitely up_.

Lightning gave up pretending to be calm. "What are you doing here, Hope?" She turned on him so fast he took a defensive step back. Snapping a hand to her hip, she continued, "No one knew where I was specifically, and I removed that stupid tracking app Serah made me get." Truly at the end of her rope, tears pooling in her eyes, Lightning stalked Hope across the room. _On top of those blasted dreams, this...Him showing up...is too much!_ Her sudden aggression gave him the willies. "So how did you find me when I didn't want to **be** found?"

 _Keep it together, Hope_. "When you hung up on Serah, she became very upset. Fang and Snow were set to come find you whatever you wanted, and Noel wasn't too far behi-."

"That doesn't explain why **you're** here." Lightning's tone was sharp enough to cut. _There's more to it than that, Hope. You were fine at a distance._ Her expression hardened. _**I**_ _wasn't fine, but you seemed_ _ **peachy keen**_ _on the phone_ _._

"What? I can't be worried about you, too?" Baffled, Hope pushed back against her implication that he wouldn't want to find her. _There's something I'm not seeing; something else underneath this._ "We're partners, Lightning. That's what you said in the Whitewood." He took a step toward her, hands held out entreatingly. "And I think we've more than proven that truth in the centuries since."

His words rolled through the former soldier like a tidal wave. She was helpless to stop the emotional catastrophe he'd inadvertently triggered within her. _I didn't...I'm not...I couldn't...I can't..._ Her thoughts razed to their foundation, Lightning Farron lost control for the second time in twenty-four hours.

Hope felt a flush the likes of which he hadn't experienced since he faced Snow on that rooftop in Palumpolum. Only instead of the relief of righteous fury, he felt agonized, heart-wrenching despair. _I've felt this before. In the Chaos._ He watched helplessly as the woman before him came undone. _Shit! This_ _is_ _ **her**_ _!_

Lightning stumbled back against the wall behind her lost in her memories. Her fears manifested in her mind's eye with exacting detail. In rapid succession, she saw pieces of her nightmares, waking and sleeping, come to life. Hope was a cieth. Hope abandoned her, was abandoned by her. Hope murdered Snow. Hope died in her arms. Hope was forever crystallized. Hope was strung up, destroyed by Bhunivelze. On and on the images came; each a poisoned lesion on her soul.

"Light!" Hope leapt the short distance between them. Bringing her unresisting body into a supportive embrace, he sat them both on the bed and examined her face. What he saw tortured him far more than the God of Light ever could have, the phantom notwithstanding. Lightning's eyes were dilated until the irises nearly vanished, and her complexion held an alarming pallor. Her breath and faint pulse fluttered against him rapidly.

This close to her he could hear her tormented murmuring. "I didn't...I'm not...I couldn't...I can't..." Appalled, he realized she was repeating these phrases compulsively. _What is she_ _ **seeing**_ _?!_

"Light. Come on. Don't do this. Please." His anguished whisper went unheeded. The longer she remained unresponsive, the greater his foreboding grew. Hyperventilating, Hope fumbled for his phone. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I couldn't stay... You have to..." The phone dropped from his hand, and he left it where it fell. Pulling her close, he buried his face in her shoulder as her body trembled in his arms. She seemed to be falling further into her stupor. Breathing deeply, he struggled to calm himself enough to speak.

A few minutes passed far too slowly for his peace of mind before he was able to gasp, "Please, Light. Come back to me. You have to." As he calmed, Hope noticed that she calmed. Abruptly, he made the connection between his state of mind and Lightning's. _Wait. We're_ _ **feeding**_ _each others' emotional states?_ With that realization, he focused on his breathing and heart rate. _If I can get myself under control, maybe she'll snap out of whatever is happening._

Ten minutes later, Lightning blinked her overly dry eyes. _Again?!_ She focused on Hope, embarrassed that he saw her fall apart. "You can let me up now." He hastily helped her straighten up. She refused to meet his eyes. That is until she felt a gentle touch against her cheek.

Delirious with relief, Hope pressed his cheek against hers. "Light. You're ok." He pulled away and met her timid glance. A gentle smile settled on his face as she looked away. "We have some things to talk about."

"Like what?" Lightning kept her gaze averted and her tone disinterested. _I just want to fall through the floor right now. Is that too much to ask?_

"Like what's going on between us." Hope held a hand up to forestall any misunderstandings. "I think this will help you resolve what's bothering you." He smiled again. "Promise."

"How do you figure?" Her tone remained clipped; Hope wasn't fooled. _She's still antsy. The prickling has calmed down a lot, though. So at least she's open to listening...hopefully...mostly..._ He took a moment to calm himself. _Alright, Estheim. Don't over-think this._

"Well. You remember how, or rather where, I said good bye on the Last Day, right?" She nodded impatiently as if to say "Tell me something I don't know."

"When we saved each other, that connection deepened." Demanding he elaborate with a quirk of an eyebrow, Lightning remained silent as Hope continued, "And, I think we're dealing with the repercussions of that connection in addition to everything that happened before you saved me and reunited with your younger self."

"So, what are you saying?" Butterflies erupted in Lightning's stomach. She stomped down on them - hard. _I can't get distracted. We're problem solving as good partners and friends do._ Her other desires for this conversation were purposely ignored by the stubborn woman. They were too difficult to deal with on her own; if this trip taught her nothing else, it taught her that she had a long way to go to integrate Lumina without losing her sanity in the process. That much he was right about.

Hope scooted away from her reluctantly as a buzzing aura surrounded them. _I don't know how she'll take this._ He kept a light grip on her hand unable to let go of that small connection.

"Well, we've always kind of known when something is bothering each other. In the Old World, I mean." He waited for her nod. "And it grew deeper during..." Here Hope trailed off unsure how to continue. Gathering his thoughts, he continued. "The final thirteen days, especially the Last Day, we were so much closer on so many levels despite our emotions being taken..." He paused again dropping his gaze from hers.

Lightning was very still, barely breathing, as she guessed at what her partner was trying to say. "You're saying that Bhuni-," she changed what she was saying at his flinch. "That **he** connected us to each other directly instead of through him?" She grimaced. "That's a lovely thought."

"Not quite. He didn't understand souls, couldn't even perceive them." Sighing, Hope hesitantly continued, "I think, ummm...I might have...accidentally..."

In another life, Hope Estheim was the leader of an entire civilization, a scientist, a gifted speaker; his experience in those roles didn't make it any easier to face this woman while his grasping vulnerability for her was on display. He squeezed his eyes shut before continuing. "I think I might have made the connection myself while I was part of Bhu-...him."

 _Well. Can't say I saw_ _ **that**_ _coming_. Lightning had been many things in her long life: guardian, soldier, demi-goddess, goddess' champion, savior, full goddess. None of those roles prepared her for Hope's confession or what it implied. "What?"

Agitation chafed at his mind. Hope dropped her hand and stood. Pacing and gesticulating wildly, he answered her. "I couldn't lose you again. You were finally... Finally! **Right**. **There**. Not a **dream**. Not an **illusion**. **You**! And he was going to take you away from me." Residual jealousy and blatant fear darkened his eyes to a grayish-green she hadn't seen since 10 AF as she watched his reunion with Serah from Valhalla.

"I know! I'm messed up. But..." Hope knelt in front of the stunned woman. "I can't breathe without you, Light. And," he took her hands in his. "I **know**...I can feel **here** ," he brought their joined hands to his heart, "that you can't breathe without me, either."

Lightning scrutinized the man before her in amazement. She selfishly took the time to visually peel away his defenses layer by layer as he knelt in front of her. _I have to be sure._ What she saw gave her the courage she'd never admit to lacking. _He's serious._

Prying one of her hands from Hope's, Light stroked her fingertips across his cheek. "You're right." She smiled wistfully at his astonished expression. "The only time I've been able to breathe since," pausing to consider how long it's been since she was comfortable in her own skin and with her life, the Old World's savior stopped speaking, confounded.

"Since when, Lightning?" Hope's voice was barely above a whisper as he pulled her closer in comfort, for himself or for her or for them both he didn't particularly know or care. It was enough that their masks were falling away as harrowing as the process was.

A pained demeanor settled over her as she continued, "Since before my mother died, the only time I've been able to breathe freely has been when I'm with you."

Hope didn't know whether to be elated at her declaration that she needed him as much as he needed her or to feel ashamed that he was elated she hadn't felt like herself for so very, very long. He settled on acknowledging a common truth instead. "Me, too, Light. I haven't felt right since my mother died unless I'm with you, too."

"Where does that leave us?"

"Ummm. Well, we've been reborn so..." Hope pulled back then stood. Extending his hand with a quirky grin, he continued. "Hi. I'm Hope Estheim. And you are?"

Lightning blinked at him. Then she blinked again. "Seriously, Hope?"

"Yes, I'm Hope. And you are?" His smile grew into a smirk as he watched her flounder a bit.

Seeing his amusement, Light decided to follow his lead before she felt even more foolish. _Two can play this game._ Extending her hand and grasping his, she gave it a firm shake. "I'm Lightning Farron." A smile grew as more pleasant memories surfaced. "You can call me Light." Her wistfulness returning, she continued, "Or Claire if you'd rather."

His smirk collapsed under the shock of her giving him permission to use her real name. After he recovered, a contented smile spread in its place. "Claire." He pulled her into a warm embrace that provided them both room to breathe. "I'm so glad to have met you."


	2. Into Eternity (Wedding Ring)

**A/N** : For HopeRai Week 2015. **Prompt** : Wedding Ring

 **Obligatory Disclaimer** : I don't own any part of FFXIII.

 **Summary** : AU. Lightning comes home for her final leave after a several month long emergency deployment having missed Serah and Snow's wedding. Serah decides to throw a welcome home party for her, and they invite the gang. Hope is struck speechless by the unknown soldier before him; he now understands what Snow meant when he said he saw forever in Serah's eyes.

* * *

 **Into Eternity**

 **NORA House Café and Grill**

Hope shook his head at the towering man seated beside him. "I don't think I can make it, Snow."

"C'mon, Hope." Snow clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sis is flying in tomorrow, and Saturday we're throwing her a welcome home party."

"Y'know. You're going to dislocate his shoulder doing that." Noel, the youngest of the group, ribbed the large blond. Hope cast him a grateful look while Snow flashed his trademark grin and kept going.

"Nah. He's tougher than he looks."

"I don't know about that. I think you bruised me this time." The gifted scientist continued his point from before. "I have a lot of wor—"

Noel shook his head in feigned disgust. He admired his older friend's work ethic; sometimes he just overdid it. "What could possibly be more interesting than a party at the Villiers' place?"

"Well, we've almo—" Hope was interrupted again.

"Oh, I think I know." Fang's sly tone cut across the men's banter. Snow and Noel leaned in anticipating their friend's embarrassment to follow. Hope propped his elbows on the table then dropped his head into his hands. Inarticulate sounds of denial and surrender issued from him. "There's that cute little assistant of his. What's her name?" The woman's grin sharpened. "Oh, yeah. Alyssa, isn't it? In the office." She paused for effect then drawled the last word out for emphasis. "Alooooone..." The two men not on the receiving end of Fang's special brand of humor guffawed loudly as the implication hit them.

"Really, Fang?!" Hope snapped his head up to glare at his so-called friends. _Traitors! The lot of them._ Fang simply shrugged her shoulders indifferent to his ire. This only served to frustrate the man more. "A - I'm not interested in **anyone**. B - We're coworkers; office romances are **highly** inadvisable. C - She's my **assistant**. Do you really think I'm that unprofessional, that **crass** , as to engage in that type of behavior with someone who may not feel in a position to turn me down?"

With an unconcerned wave of her hand, she answered, "Just a thought, luv." Another cunning smile, smaller than the last, appeared. "Your first point's the only important one, yeah? If you and the lady who caught your eye were both interested in each other, I don't think the last two points would hold water."

The eldest of the group spluttered. "How did we get on the subject of my love life again?"

Snickering, Noel corrected, "You mean your **non-existent** love life?" He pointed to the woman sitting next to him. "That would be Fang plowing through social constructs again." The only lady in the group lifted her drink in a toast to the table at large. A wicked gleam shined in her eyes. This only served to increase the young man's amusement; his snickers turned into howls of laughter drawing every eye in the room.

 _I give up._ Hope shook his head exasperatedly. "I have to go. Snow, are you still giving me a ride in to the office?"

Snow did a better job of not laughing, but it was a near thing. "Sure, bud. Let me pay the tab, and we're out."

 **Fifteen minutes later**

A young woman, owner and primary bartender and cook of NORA House, approached the table shaking her head. "What did you say to him this time, Fang?" The group was a regular sight here, but it had been a while since Hope came in. Snow, Serah, and her sister, Lightning, knew the owner and management staff for most of their lives, and this made the relationship between them casual, more like family than business/customers.

"Nothing that didn't need to be said, Lebreau." At the younger woman's skeptical "Mmm-hmmm" Fang elaborated. "A couple of uncomfortable truths is all."

"Whatever you say, Fang." Lebreau considered their silver-haired friend. "Still, that's the most animated I've seen him since the wedding. He **is** going to the party this weekend, right?"

"He doesn't know it yet, but yeah. Even if Vanille and I have to drag him kicking and screaming." Fang glanced at her watch. "Speaking of... I have to pick her up." Fang stood and threw a ten dollar tip on the table. "For any trouble I might've caused for your other customers."

"Don't worry about it. I'd rather have you guys loud and rowdy than the maudlin stiffs that come in after dark to drown their sorrows." Lebreau tucked the tip into the top of her blouse as was her custom. "We'll see you later."

Fang paused long enough to ask, "The whole gang's coming then?" At Lebreau's confirmation, she smirked widely. "Lightning will just **love** that."

 **At Estheim Industries, Outside Research Alpha's Clean Lab**

Snow sat in his customary spot after sending his Sunday security team on break. He shrewdly considered his less-than-pleased friend who took a seat against the wall. They were outside the first entrance to one of two clean labs housed within the research portion of Estheim Industries' business complex. Alpha Research was the experimental portion of E.I.'s R&D department. Beta Research refined Alpha Lab's findings into practical applications. As lead researcher and sitting CEO, Hope primarily oversaw Alpha Lab.

"Don't let Fang get under your skin, kid." Hope quirked an eyebrow as a reprimand to his friend. "Yeah, I know you're older than me. I swear, though, sometimes you act like a pubescent teenager." Hope shook his head. "You're almost as good as Lightning at the nonverbal communication thing, Hope."

Hope took that as his cue to try to explain **again** why he couldn't make the party the next weekend. "Snow. I really don't think I can..."

Snow cut him off. "Fang and Vanille are picking you up. Their idea, not mine." Uncharacteristically stern, Snow continued, "Seriously, Hope. You lock yourself in here and never come out. It's not healthy."

"We do important work here, Snow. You know that better than most." Hope gestured toward the exit door indicating the general population at large. "That work can't get done unless I-…"

"Bullshit. Your team members aren't stupid people." Snow stood and leaned against the wall behind him, arms crossed. "And I'll give credit where credit is due. I don't like Alyssa; you know that. She's still a damn fine scientist, and I think she's more responsible for running this place than you are." He stepped closer and placed both hands on the shorter man's shoulders. "You're hiding. Why? What's really eating you? Fang's comments shouldn't have messed with you like this."

Hope crossed his arms and looked sardonically back at his best friend. "Serah's been on you about me again, hasn't she?"

Snow dropped his hands self-consciously. "Yeah, but don't think that doesn't mean the rest of us haven't noticed."

Hope considered Snow's words. _I've really been worrying them. That's not what I want to do._ Making a decision, he extended a peace offering to the blond. "Alright. I'll try to explain myself. In my office. Over coffee."

Snow grinned broadly. "Done." Once the security team checked in with their boss, the two left for the building's cafeteria then made their way to Hope's office.

Hope stared into his coffee thinking about two things. _How did I find myself here? Where do I go from here?_ The first question triggered a bittersweet memory...

 _ **Flashback: Five Years Ago**_

Hope and his dad, Bartholomew, were driving home after visiting Hope's mother's grave. Because of construction they were unable to take their usual route which had the elder Estheim, who was driving, on edge. As they passed through an unfamiliar part of town, he drove over something that left their car drifting oddly to its right side. He pulled to the curb.

"I've got it, Dad." Hope unfastened his seat belt and got out to take a look. Sure enough, both tires were flat. He stood and poked his head in the window. "We'll need a tow. Unless you carry two spares." He tried to smile to lighten the mood.

Visiting days were always rough on the two men. Nora died eight years ago, and neither had been the same since. Hope became withdrawn while Bartholomew's health suffered in the years that followed. They both sought, and found, solace in their work. Unfortunately, with Nora gone, that was the only thing that bound them together. They made the best of it for her sake.

Bartholomew gratefully reciprocated. "I'm not that paranoid." He paused. "Although, now that I think about it, maybe I should be."

Hope simply shook his head. "I don't think you have room in there, Dad."

"A tow it is, then." The elder Estheim pulled out his phone and dialed his insurance company's roadside assistance number. As he maneuvered through the automated menus, he continued, "Get in out of the cold, son."

"It's just a little cool, Dad. No big deal." Hope did as his father asked anyway. Once the call was complete, they sat in silence.

Thirty minutes later, a full forty-five minutes faster than promised, a large tow truck appeared. The logo on the side read "NORA Towing - Independently Contracted Dependable Service." As the truck pulled to a stop behind them, two **very** large men stepped out. The Estheims looked at each other astonished and suddenly a little worried.

The taller of the two, a blond wearing a black bandana with a beige trench coat pulled over a blue vest and black shirt and pants, sauntered up to the driver's side door. A friendly and reassuring grin pulled his lips wide. "Hi. Snow Villiers, NORA Towing. We're here to help." He gave Bartholomew a thumbs up.

The equally massive redhead shouted, "Yo, Boss! I'm gonna pull in front of 'em so we can pull the car up the back." Snow waved at his partner in acknowledgement.

Turning back to the car's occupants, he gestured for them to exit their vehicle. "Sorry. We need you out of there so we can pull it up onto the truck." Hope and Bartholomew both did as told.

Mr. Estheim struck up an awkward conversation as Hope looked on. "So. Mr. Villiers was it?"

Snow waved the formality away. "Just Snow. That there's Gadot."

Hope looked at the broad man. _Are those_ _ **surfer**_ _shorts and only a jacket in this weather?_ The slighter man shivered in sympathy; the weather was cold unless layers were worn. He turned his attention back toward his father who had continued speaking.

"Snow, then. Thank you for responding so quickly."

"No problem, Mr. Estheim." At the two men's surprised look, Snow explained, "Lebreau always insists on knowing who we're helping - by name if she can swing it." The roughness of grating machinery sounded as Gadot started the process of hitching the car onto the truck bed.

Hope grew a little suspicious. "And you find names before getting to the tow-site by...?"

"Oh, that. Maqui finds 'em in the company request database." Snow grinned proudly as he expounded upon his young friend's technical prowess. "It's really easy. Once he gets the VIN we're supposed to tow, he can find whatever he needs to."

Hope looked at his father then turned back to Snow. "Isn't that a breach of security?"

Snow considered the smaller man's point. "Maybe, but we prefer to think of it as going above and beyond in the customer service department." He grinned wide.

Hope looked for malice or ill-intent behind the smile. He was astounded to find none. _This guy's a huge kid! Or an imbecile._ Giving up, he shook his head and allowed his dad to lead the conversation.

Little could the young man have predicted just what that chance meeting would gain and cost him over the next several years.

 _ **End Flashback**_

 _I could really use your help, Dad._ Hope gazed dejectedly into his coffee. _Are they right? Am I just afraid? Hiding? And if so, from what?_

"Hope. You said you needed to talk." Snow smiled at his distracted companion. "I don't listen as well as Serah, but since you asked..."

Hope gave a half-hearted smile. "Yeah. Thanks, by the way" He gathered his thoughts. "Fang's teasing did get to me. A lot." Snow nodded.

The older man gathered his courage determined to be honest if it killed him. _It just might._ "I'm not alone by choice. There really **isn't** anyone I'm interested in. And why would I just hookup when I'm not interested?"

Snow answered whole heartedly. "You wouldn't. No reason to." He was well aware of Hope's fears related to being alone; he also knew and fully endorsed the older man's moral code that insisted he at least be interested in who a person was before seeing where a relationship could go.

"Then why does it bother me when people assume Alyssa and I are together?" Conflicted green eyes met calm blue ones. "Or when they make comments like we should be together because we work well together? That it's so obvious there's something there and I'm not willing to face it? I simply don't like her that way." He drew a deep breath. "It's not even that I'm bothered by the assumptions or possibilities other people gossip about. I'm bothered because you're right. She's a competent, talented person. What's wrong with me that I can't muster any kind of interest in her?" It was well-known that Alyssa Zaidelle had a massive crush on her boss. She didn't go to any lengths at all to hide it despite his lack of interest or reciprocation. That lack of respect for him and their professional relationship annoyed Hope beyond measure; he was just too polite to make a scene about it. As his best friend and security manager, Snow was privy to all of this.

"Look, Hope. There's nothing wrong with you. You lost your mom when you were young. You and your dad were estranged for a long time, and that loss was part of it. Then, just as you were getting to know and trust us," Snow smiled sadly at Hope's squirming, "and repair your relationship with your dad, you lost him, too." He shook his head in pained understanding. "Isn't that reason enough for you to be a little gun shy when it comes to getting close to people? It'll take something pretty powerful for you to risk that kind of loss again." He paused with a smirk. "As for Alyssa. Let's just say she's the issue."

A knot formed in Hope's throat while Snow spoke. _This is it. I'm not afraid of people or relationships. I'm terrified of losing the people most important to me. And apparently I attract lunatics who don't recognize boundaries._ "I guess."

Seeing his friend's distress worsen, Snow tried another tack. He pulled his necklace from beneath his shirt; it held the pendant matching Serah's earrings - the first gift he bought for her, his engagement pendant, and his wedding band. He said he wore all of that on a chain because it kept bits of Serah near his heart. He removed the wedding band and held it out to his distraught friend. _I didn't realize how badly he was taking all the teasing, and Alyssa's stalker tendencies aren't helping. Guess Serah was right._ Gesturing for Hope to take it, Snow finally took the other man's hand and placed the ring in his palm.

Uncharacteristically serious, Snow gestured to the ring and asked, "What does that represent to you? What do you think that ring means?"

Hope looked at the ring then his friend. "It's your wedding band, Snow. It's what married couples wear to show they're in a formal relationship with another person."

Snow clapped his hand to his forehead. _Ow! Guess it does hurt if I'm not careful._ "I didn't mean what it meant to other people. I asked what a ring like that means to **you**. Or to the person wearing it if you'd rather not get personal about it."

Hope held the band up and examined it. Speaking through his thought process, he rambled a bit. "It's a circle. A symbol of cycles - of birth, life, death, and rebirth. It represents eternity and connections. Wholeness or oneness. Mated pairs like male/female, day/night, positive/negative." He clenched his hand around the ring. Quietly he asked the question that's haunted him since his mother died; the answer would shed light on his father and the bits of life his mother hadn't been able to explain to him before she died. "How do you know?"

Snow was nodding along with Hope's description until the last question. "How do you know what?"

Hope gently placed the ring back in Snow's hand. "How do you know when you meet someone who represents all of that to you? Who fills you so completely that there is no room for anything that isn't part of you or her to begin with?"

"For me?" A quiet, content smile cracked through Snow's seriousness. "When I first laid eyes on her, I saw forever in Serah's eyes."

 _Of course Snow would say something horrifically cheezy and over-simplified like that._ Hope took a sip of his now-cold coffee and made a face. "That's it. Between your cheese factor and this disgustingly cold liquid dirt that replaced my coffee, we're done here."

After walking Snow out his office door, Hope worked on administrative duties. As he watched the sunset out his window he thought back to Fang's teasing and Snow's surprising wisdom. _Fang's right. If I found someone who fit me the way Serah fits Snow or Vanille fits Fang, everything else wouldn't matter as much._

 **Next Day: Villiers Residence**

"Welcome home, Lightning." Serah grinned ear-to-ear as her sister finally returned home. _She's been gone so long. The military was supposed to be a way for us to be together without worrying about money and necessities. Instead, it took my sister away from me._ Serah quietly recalled how everything fell apart.

Lightning was born the night Claire and Serah Farron's parents died in an accident when the elder Farron was fifteen. A good family friend, Sazh Katzroy, and his wife took her and Serah in so they wouldn't be separated. Determined to take care of her sister herself, Lightning joined the army right out of high school. She'd been convinced to sign on for an extended six-year enlistment by the allure of a higher rank and more pay. She and Serah accepted she'd have to leave the younger on her own with the recently bereaved Sazh and his newborn son Dajh while she finished training. The army needed her elsewhere, though, and her first duty station was overseas. She was shipped out on an unaccompanied tour for her first three years in service. While her last three years had officially seen her assigned closer to home, she'd spent so much time on temporary duty elsewhere that she and Serah hadn't effectively lived together in the six years after she officially enlisted. Much to her chagrin and Serah's disappointment, she missed Serah's wedding to Snow. Lightning, now a decorated soldier, was home on terminal leave after helping her unit wrap up a humanitarian mission. The only thing she wanted was to get to know her sister again and make a smooth transition back to civilian life.

"Hello, Serah." Lightning hugged her petite sister gently. "Where's Snow?" Ecstatic to see Serah again, she stepped back and set her bag down just inside the front door.

"He's at work." Serah looped her arm through her sister's and pulled her deeper into the house.

"Wasn't he working with Lebreau and the others on a café and towing service?" _And didn't that leave him home more often than not?_ The elder felt her frustration rising. _He's not even here, and he aggravates me._

"Lebreau and Yuj handle the café while Gadot and Maqui run the towing and repair service." Serah leading the way, they stepped into the dining room where a pot of tea and snacks waited. Lightning's stomach growled loudly. "Long flight?" The twinkle in Serah's eyes belied the solicitation in her tone.

Lightning ignored her teasing. "So, if Snow's not working with the NORA gang, what's he doing?" She sat down and poured herself and her sister a cup of tea before placing some snacks on a small plate.

"He works in security." Serah nodded in thanks for the tea and took a sip before continuing. "He's actually head of security for Estheim Industries."

Blinking quizzically, Light asked for clarification. " **Head** of security? As in **the Boss** , head of security?" At her sister's amused nod she continued. "For Estheim Industries?" Another nod from Serah. "Sounds like he grew up."

"That's not nice, Sis." Serah sighed. _I wish Claire would at least_ _ **try**_ _to get along with Snow._ She changed topics. "We have the second bedroom set up for as long as you need it." The elder gave a tired nod. "We'll get you all unpacked and settled after we finish here." Her sister hummed in response. The rest of their time eating was spent silently enjoying each others' company.

When they finished and Serah was leading Lightning upstairs, the younger remembered the party on Saturday. "Oh, hey! Sorry, I almost forgot." She turned toward her sister. "We're having a welcome home party for you on Saturday." Seeing Lightning's expression tighten in disapproval, Serah cut her off. "No backing out. Everyone's already been invited. You'll be able to see them all at once instead of spreading multiple get togethers over several days."

The soldier gave up trying to change her sister's mind. _I never could deny her anything if it was in my power to give it._ Nodding in defeat, Light asked, "Who's everyone?"

Serah happily answered. "Other than me and Snow, the NORA gang will be here. So will Sazh and Dajh." She smiled. "Oh, and Fang and Vanille; you met them a few years back. Vanille and I went to school together along with Noel. He's coming with Yeul." Ignoring her sister's increasingly flinty stare as the guest list grew, they stopped at the door to Lightning's bedroom. "And Hope will be here, too. I don't think you've met him, yet." A concerned look crossed her face before Serah dismissed it. "He's with Estheim Industries, too. You haven't met him because he was always working when you came home on leave, but he'll be here for the party." She opened the door for her sister. "Anyway, why don't you unpack and relax. You have a three-quarters bath through that door right there," Serah pointed to a door half hidden behind the room's main door. "I'm so happy you're home, Claire." She hugged her sister again, then walked back into the main part of the house.

Lightning stood in her doorway trying to figure out how a small get together, which she'd honestly been expecting, of just Serah, Snow, Sazh, and Dajh became a party with people she didn't know well or at all. _It's Serah. No further explanation necessary._ Shrugging in resignation, she decided her first order of business was a shower followed by a nap. _At least that much hasn't changed._

 **Saturday, Lightning's Welcome Home Party: Villiers Residence**

The party was in full swing. It had only been twenty minutes since the NORA gang walked in with Noel and Yeul, and Lightning already wanted to bail. _We still have four, no make that five, more people showing up._ She stepped outside into the backyard for some peace. _At least the bass isn't pounding through my head out here._ The soldier leaned against the deck banister absorbing the relative silence. She ignored the car that pulled up until voices drifted toward her as the occupants approached the front door. _Great. The last guests have arrived._

Five minutes later, Vanille burst through the sliding glass door and immediately skipped toward Lighting. "Light! You made it. We're glad you're home." The soldier snorted.

"Where else would I be than at my own party, Vanille?" Lightning tolerated Vanille's hug for a brief moment then stepped away. Vanille smiled brightly at Fang as if to say "Told you she'd let me!"

"Be nice to my Vanille, Sunshine." Fang ambled toward the other woman and her lover. "Otherwise, I might just have to take that smart mouth of yours a round or two in the yard."

"Please. You couldn't take me on my worst day." Lightning shifted her weight to her left foot and placed her left hand on the matching hip.

Fang circled around behind her to put an arm around Vanille. "Care to wager on that?" Light smirked as she turned to face the taller woman head-on.

Hope stopped with Dajh at the patio door. The pink haired woman, what he could see of her, was gorgeous; possessing a more lissome build than Serah, the elder sister held his attention like no other woman had in his adult life. He'd heard the exchange between the soldier and Fang, though, and it cast her beauty in a cold light. _Who in their right mind would take Fang on in a free-for-all?_ He decided to observe her before approaching with his own well-wishes. _If she's like this with people she knows, I don't even_ _ **want**_ _to know what she'll be like with a stranger._

As Lightning gestured ahead toward the yard, Sazh stepped in to defuse the situation between the women and immediately pulled her into a hug. "Hey, Soldier Girl. Good to see you. Miss us?"

Lightning hid her smile in the hug. "Like the flu, Old Man."

He stumbled back in mock affront. "What? An' here we came all this way just to see you."

She rolled her eyes. "Right."

As she returned Sazh's hug, the young man was struck by how indifferent her expression seemed for the barest of glimpses he managed to get. _This man supported her and her sister, raised her sister after she joined the army. And she dismisses him like this? Why does Sazh tolerate her?_ His opinion of the woman dropped further.

Dajh dashed toward her before Hope could grab him. "Miss Lightning!" The young boy wrapped his arms around her legs. "You're home! You get to stay now, right?"

Lightning's face softened slightly. Gently unwrapping him from around her legs, she smiled softly and knelt down. "Yes, Dajh. I'm home for good, now." She enveloped the child in an embrace and lifted him into her arms. A furtive movement caught her attention. Pulling Dajh closer to her out of reflex, she snapped her attention to her sister's doorway. The man standing there stared at her with a dazzled expression. His intensity held her captivated; her unwillingness to break the spell left her feeling unusually awkward.

Generally, Hope prided himself on his analytical mind and ability to think quickly on his feet. As he watched the apparently aloof woman with the boy, his impression of her began to shift. _Was I wrong? She's kind to Dajh._ He considered her behavior in a new light. _Maybe it's just adults she's uncomfortable around._ When he saw the small smile she gave Dajh, static short circuited his brain. _She really is beautiful._ He dropped the arm he'd raised to catch his friend's son. That caught her attention. When she looked up and he met her eyes, all his mental functions shut down.

She was unnerved by how much of himself he revealed to her. She saw his loneliness, his grief, his vulnerability. Lightning willingly relinquished Dajh to his father without noticing, nor did she notice as Fang and Vanille brushed by her. She was too busy gazing deeper into the unknown man's heart. She saw his strength, his nobility of spirit, and his passion. Surprising herself, she found she wanted to ease his pain and bask in his warmth.

Hope vaguely reconsidered if eyes were truly the windows to the soul as poets ascribe. With her, they certainly were. He saw her sadness, her fear, her weariness. He gazed deeper unconcerned with the silence that had fallen between them or his other friends who stepped around him to re-enter the house. He saw her fierceness, her loyalty, her protectiveness. And he wanted it all. _I can see into eternity through her eyes._

They stepped toward each other stopping a pace or two apart. Hope spoke first. "Hi. Um, I'm Hope. Hope Estheim." She smiled and extended her hand.

He took her hand gently in his and held it. Hope said softly, "Welcome home, Lightning."

She answered him. "Call me Light." He reciprocated her smile.

Serah and Snow turned away from the patio door and went back to the party. "They'll be in when they're ready," was all they told the others.


	3. Is the Impossible Possible (HtoH Combat)

**A/N** : For HopeRai Week 2015. **Prompt** : Hand-to-Hand Combat

 **Obligatory Disclaimer** : I don't own any part of FFXIII.

 **Summary** : Lightning has been teaching Hope some hand-to-hand combat techniques. They agree to a sparring match. Hope wins after trying something new. Light calls shenanigans.

* * *

 **Is The Impossible Possible?**

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Hope?" Lightning looks over her shoulder at her taller companion. She's still annoyed at this change in principal; she doesn't look too deeply at why an adult Hope is also a good thing in her book.

"Yes, Light." Hope gives her a sloppily jaunty salute. Her eyes narrow at him in warning. A wide smirk stretches across his face answering her challenge. Before the match starts in the hall, he points at the door to the men's locker room. "I'll, uh, just get changed and meet you there. Shall I?" He pushes the door open.

Lightning nods. Just before the door closes behind him, she says, "Don't forget your cup." The low chuckle accompanying her statement has a dangerous edge to it. Her words and tone have the desired effect - a nervous "Right" muttered by her partner and protégé. A smile identical to Lumina's at her most mischievous appears on the ex-savior's lips and reflects in her eyes.

Five minutes later, Hope and Light face off in an empty exercise room. The others wanted to watch, but the two combatants didn't want to deal with the peanut gallery's commentary. Especially Snow's and Fang's. Lightning begins by stating the win conditions for their match. "All right. Win conditions are being pinned for three seconds, not being able to stand up for five seconds, and stepping off the mat at all. Agreed?"

Hope nods, "Agreed."

Formalities out of the way, Lightning shakes her head in disgust at Hope's attire. He's dressed in loose athletic pants, a t-shirt, protective headgear, gloves, and sneakers; his hair is untamed. In contrast she is dressed in a close-fitting tank top and shorts very similar to her old Guardian Corps uniform, sneakers, protective head gear, and gloves; her hair is braided tightly to her head and pinned in place.

Patent disapproval colors every word. "Hope! We agreed this would be a full contact match..."

"Yeah. And?" Hope looks at her calmly. "That's why I'm wearing a cup, right?" He smiles broadly at his friend's blush. Evoking a darker shade of crimson, he continues in a too-innocent tone. "Thanks for reminding me, by the way. I'd hate to lose my chance at kids..."

"Hope!" _Why am I blushing like an imbecile?_ She forces the color down. "Don't blame me if your hair blinds you or if something happens with your pants."

"This is a friendly spar, Light." The sparkle in his eyes contrasts sharply with his unaffected tone. "What could **possibly** happen to my pants?" At the resurgent blush, Hope allows his smile to return. "Should I be concerned?"

Having had enough of his lip, Lightning throws the first punch. Hope's quick reflexes save him from a nasty head shot. _Guess I pushed a little_ _ **too**_ _far._ He tries a straight jab which she dodges easily. With the preliminaries out of the way, they settle into the match.

Twenty minutes pass as Lightning lets Hope set the pace. She wants to see how far he's progressed; because of his thin build they've focused on agility for offense and defense. She's not too worried about losing because her technique and endurance are still superior to his. _This is the most fun I've had in weeks._

Hope notices she's a little distracted. _Of course,_ _ **I'm**_ _a little distracted. That half smile and bright eyes... Yeah. I'm a goner._ Lightning lands a straight kick into his diaphragm. "Oof! Damn, Light." He recovers from his stumble.

"Full contact, Hope." She quirks an eyebrow while her eyes widen then narrow quickly.

 _She's up to something._ Hope brushes his bangs aside as he refocuses on his opponent.

That momentary distraction is all she needs. Lightning spins quickly then snaps her hand up and out. The resulting backhand is followed by a left jab, right hook, and a back flip out of retaliatory range. She sticks the landing and smirks in his direction as he shakes the stars out of his eyes. _Not bad. He's not down._

"Be glad I didn't hit you as hard as I hit Snow."

"Pfft. Yeah. Small mercies there, Teach." Hope approaches her faster than she expected forcing her to retreat a couple of steps. Two quick jabs drive her farther back. She preps and delivers a roundhouse kick aimed for his chest.

To her utter consternation, Hope grabs her ankle and uses her trajectory to nimbly avoid the hit by spinning around her foot and up her leg. "Wha-?!" _I didn't teach him that!_

Hope, smile downright evil, ducks low and sweeps Lightning's feet out from under her while she's recovering. He follows her down to keep her from rolling with the impact and back to her feet.

"Gotcha!" He swoops in to press a kiss to her lips. She freezes in shock, eyes going wide. He separates from her a bit and stares at her with trepidation.

The agreed upon three count for a pin ticks by. Another five seconds go by.

Hope pulls reluctantly away and stands up. This snaps Lightning out of her daze. He extends his hand to help her stand. Her eyes flicker between his eyes and his hand. She finally reaches out to accept his help.

"So, uh..." Hope pauses unsure of where to go from here. "I guess I, uh, pinned you. I win the match, right?" _She hasn't hit me for real or stormed off yet. I guess that's a good thing?_

"What?" As a soldier, Lightning lost plenty of spars, especially in her early days. **Never** has she completely spaced on her surroundings. Then again, she's never had a spar end quite like this. Her thoughts sluggishly catch up.

"I win. Right?" Hope smiles hoping to shift the uncomfortable atmosphere to something a little more bearable.

Lightning strips the gloves from her hands. "How can you call that a win?"

"Well. I did pin you. That was a win condition."

"You..." A flush spreads into her cheeks. "You cheated."

"I did not."

"Did so!"

"How?" His expression dares her to say it, to admit he kissed her and is still standing.

"Hope!" Lightning breathes deeply to calm her nerves. She picks up his gauntlet. "A kiss is **not** how you win a spar."

"You reminded me it was a **full contact** match." Hope grins disarmingly. "A kiss qualifies as physical contact."

Light stares at him flabbergasted. Then she shakes it off. "You still cheated."

"Ok. Maybe a little." They leave the exercise room and walk toward the locker rooms. Before she can enter the women's changing room, he says, "So. Shall we call it a draw then?"

A conflicted expression settles on her face. "I'll think about it." With a half shrug at him, she saunters through the door.

Hope realizes she didn't clarify which point she'd think about. "Wait! What? Light!" He steps toward the women's door before a staff member approaches and looks at him with a disapproving stare. He steps into the men's changing room. _Damn! Now I'm tied in knots._

Driving to Drop Lightning Off at Home

"Why did you pull a move like that?" Genuinely curious, Lightning glances at him to gauge his reaction.

A soft smile appears as he watches the traffic. Reaching out to twine his fingers with hers, his not-so-simple answer floors her. "I wanted to see if the impossible was possible."

He pulls to a stop at a red light. Turning his head to face her fully, he asks, "What do you think, Light? Is it?"

Lightning stares at their interconnected hands, his so much larger than when he was fourteen. Lifting her gaze to his, she pushes her apprehension aside. _We'll deal with that together._ She pokes his forehead drawing a laugh from her partner. _Like we do everything else._ The light turns green forcing Hope to shift his attention back to the road.

"Yeah. I think it is." Faking disgruntlement, she continues, "But if you **ever** cheat like that again, Mr. Hope Estheim..."

Hope squeezed her hand. "Right! Got it."


	4. Reserved for You (A Place to Relax)

**A/N** : For HopeRai Week 2015. **Prompt** : A Place to Relax

 **Obligatory Disclaimer** : I don't own any part of FFXIII.

 **Summary** : An over-exhausted Hope offers his coat and lap as a headrest for the injured and equally exhausted Lightning after they and Fang nearly lose a battle with triffids and a svarog in the Yaschas Massif. Never have they wanted their magic more, and Fang's teasing isn't helping.

* * *

 **Reserved for You**

"Alright, Light. We're going to stop here, yeah." Fang gently eased the soldier down to a log nestled amongst the meadows and cliffs of the Tsumitran Basin.

"Where's Hope?" Lightning tried to hide her flinch as the change in position pulled at the still seeping wounds across her back. She couldn't quite disguise the hiss of pain that escaped her.

"Right here, Light." Hope trudged up to the log before sinking to the ground exhausted. The trio encountered a svarog and a couple of triffids as they entered the Basin from the Tsubaddran Highlands, and it was all they could do to come out of the fight with their lives intact. He rummaged around his small waist pack looking for the medicines he carried there. _Let's see... I have several antidotes and foul liquids, a couple of mallets and painkillers, and a holy water. No potions._ He sighed dejectedly. "I have some medicines that might help, guys. But I'm all out of potions." He leaned his back against the log next to Lightning while he spread the vials on the ground grouped by medicinal type.

Fang reached down and grabbed a vial of antidote and holy water. "Geez, kid. How'd you even label these?"

The boy blushed lightly. "You can request labels for no charge when you order the medicine."

Fang nodded approvingly. Not many saw past her typical nonchalance or sometimes outrageous behavior. Those who did knew she appreciated anything that made it easier to survive and thrive, and she placed the wellbeing of her family above everything else. _Strange how quickly this group became kith. Hope's a smart kid._ A piercing gaze shifted from the boy to the soldier beside him. _In most things._

"Good thinking, Hope." The warrior smiled when he blushed brighter in response. She pulled the vials' caps and drank them one after the other. "Ahhh. That's better. Now we don't have to worry about any critters thinking we're tasty **and** squishy."

Lightning came out of the daze she kept slipping into as Fang's last statement pierced her mental fog. _Pay attention, Farron. Medicines? Right._ She fumbled her leg pack open spilling its contents on to the log and surrounding ground. "Damn it." Another hiss escaped her when she tried to bend down and pick up the vials of medicine stored in her pack.

"'Ey now! Don't go getting any big ideas, Lightning." Fang gave her friend an admonishing look. Helping the pink haired woman to the ground so she would have less distance to fall, Fang began gathering the supplies that fell on the log's far side. "Hey, Hope." The eldest of the group poked her head up from where she was kneeling. She waited until he met her gaze. "Did you label Light's vials, too?" A shrewd grin pulled the corners of the woman's mouth up as she watched the boy blush again.

Hope dropped his gaze and concentrated on gathering the medicines that landed on the near side of the log. "Yeah. Labeling them was actually Light's idea." He did a quick inventory of their combined vials while he waited for his blush to calm down. _Ok. We have seven antidotes, five foul liquids, three painkillers, two mallets, and two holy waters. Plus whatever Fang picked up._ He carefully set the few aerosols Lightning had to the side. _Still no potions._

"Hey, Fang." Hope waited until she came around and deposited her load next to him. "Do you have any medicines with you?"

"And where do you suppose I'd keep those tiny fragile things, hmmm?" Fang gestured at herself drawing the teen's eyes. Predictably, he blushed a violent shade of red since he was sitting below her belt line. She grinned wider this time.

"Fang. Stop teasing him." Light was not in the best frame of mind because of her injuries, and Fang's penchant for teasing the hormonal teenager was getting on her nerves again. _Besides, we have more important things to worry about than hormones and blushes._

Moving to sit on the log, Fang gave Light a knowing look. "Whatever you say, luv." She looked back to Hope whose complexion had yet to recover. She answered Hope's question seriously this time, grin still evident. "Vanille always carries our supplies." Her eyes looked over the meadow in front of them considering their options without potions and with the condition of the two healers. "I might be able to make an ointment or poultice to help stop any infection on Light's back by tonight if I start hunting now. Think you can watch after Madam No-Fun while I do that?"

The de facto leader of their ragtag group mustered a protest, "I don't need a babysitter." Fang ignored her, shifting her gaze to the youngest of them instead.

 _You have to ask? I promised to protect her, too._ Blush now a faint pink, Hope met Fang's eyes. "Yeah. I'll watch out for Light."

Lightning tried again. "I said I don't need a babysitter." Fang rolled her eyes.

"Right, Supersoldier. Because you aren't falling over from exhaustion or bleeding all over that log, your uniform, me, the grass, Ho-…."

Lightning gave in. "Fine! I won't move from this spot." The glare she gave her companions was extremely watered down from pain and exhaustion. Fang lifted a brow at her friend's muttered "Happy now?" Hope just grinned and shook his head at his mentor's petulance. He kept his face averted so she wouldn't see and turn her aggravation on him.

Fang nodded in acknowledgement. "Ok. I'll be back by sundown." She smirked as she turned away. "Play nice." She sauntered away toward the highlands.

Hope tallied the last of Lightning's supplies. Most of what spilled on the far side of the log was ammunition and cleaning supplies for her gunblade. _Oh, and one more antidote._ He carefully set the non-medicines aside in their own space. The only other item of interest was her survival knife he returned to her in Palumpolum; he placed that within easy reach. "That's it Light. Do you need any medicine? You're looking pretty awful right now." The teen reached a hand out to steady her as she wavered where she sat forgetting for a moment that he still held her antidote.

It took longer than it should have for the soldier to respond. "Yeah. I think an antidote will help." Hope's eyes widened as he quickly popped the cap off the one in his hand and gave it to her.

"Why didn't you say anything, Lightning? You could've died, and we wouldn't have known something else was wrong until you did." His worried words carried exasperated overtones. _Seriously, when was she going to say something?_

Her brows furrowed in irritation, but she lacked the energy to maintain it. "Sorry, Hope. Not thinking clearly right now." Light drank down the antidote in record time to alleviate her fogginess and pain while also reassuring her partner. She held the empty vial up in shaky triumph. "There. All gone." Her skin took on a little more color to Hope's relief.

"Ok. We don't have much water and no streams are within sight and easy reach." He looked sardonically at the woman beside him. "Sorry, Light. I'm not quite up to fighting that behemoth king over there for water access." He gestured to the south where they could barely make out the flowing tail of the tough beast as it paced a trail along a ravine.

Light looked in the direction he gestured. "Hmph. Not like any of us are up for that fight so," she flicked him, "I suppose it's allowed. This time." The two smiled at each other as the younger rubbed his forehead. "I need to lie down, Hope. Make room." She began to gingerly maneuver herself into a lying position.

"Wait." Hope stopped her from lying on her back. "You have a lot of scratches on your back, and some are still oozing. Fang's treatment won't do any good if you get them dirtier than they already are."

"I can't lie on my side, Hope. That will pull my shoulders and back." She looked at him sternly. "Now move."

"No. You're going to get sick." He thought quickly. Grabbing his yellow coat, he began to pull it off. Blushing slightly, he suggested, "How about you use my coat as a pillow."

"I can't do that. You'll get cold." The older woman reconsidered telling him to move again when she saw his stubborn insistence written on his expression. "How about this, Worry Wart? I'll use my jacket as a pillow and rest on my side."

"You'll be colder without your jacket than I will be without mine." Hope finished folding his coat. "Here. See? A pillow." He flashed his best friend his best grin as he placed his coat on the ground and patted it invitingly. "I've used this as a pillow lots of times. It's actually pretty comfortable."

Rolling her eyes, Lightning complied. _I swear, Hope..._ They relaxed together for about three minutes before she began shifting. A couple of minutes later, she shifted again.

Hope watched her worriedly. _So many scratches, bruises, and gouges. I really wish I could use my magic right now._ The strongest mage of the group focused inward to find his magical reservoir. Sensing his magic returning, Hope reached for it only to come up with too little energy for a simple cure spell. _Nothing still. At least, not enough._ "Light? Are you ok? You're not in more pain are you?"

She tried to sit up but only managed to prop herself up halfway before her back stopped her. "Help me up, Hope. One jacket alone isn't working."

He watched appalled as her back began bleeding again. "Light... You're back..." He gently grasped her shoulders and tried to lay her back down.

"Hope!" Pain began to lace her voice again. "This isn't working; help me up."

"Light, you need to lie down. Your back is bleeding." The stubborn young man rapidly considered various options to fix the problem. The easiest and fastest solution he found caused him to blush furiously. _She might just kill me for this._

"Stay right there if you can." Hope gingerly let go of his partner's shoulders.

"Hope, I need to sit up." The soldier was as close as she'd ever been to slapping sense into the teenager. _I_ _ **know**_ _my back is bleeding. That's why I need to move._

"Give me a second, Lightning." Hope lifted his coat from the ground and scooted himself into that space. Lightning watched dubiously. Once he'd settled where his coat had been, he placed it upon his lap and gestured for her to lie back down.

"You're kidding, right?" Her lackluster question caused Hope to blush again.

"There isn't a better solution, Light." He gently grasped her shoulders again and pulled lightly. "Please, just lie down."

Her strength gave out. Lightning found herself being guided to lay her head down on Hope's coat. The coat that just happened to rest in his lap. Both blushed until they glowed and refused to look at each other. Hope laid her head on the lower half of his thighs near his knees to avoid the worst of the awkwardness. While appreciative of his consideration, her embarrassment and pain didn't allow her to say anything. Looking straight ahead, they both watched as the sun began to set. Several minutes passed.

"Umm, Light?"

"Mmhmm." Lightning found herself beginning to drift off as the awkwardness faded. The added height turned the too flat 'pillow' into one that was fairly comfortable.

"Is this better?" Hope gathered the courage to look down. "Are you more comfortable?" He leaned slightly forward so he could see her face.

"Hmm?" Light pried her eyes open to look at him. "Yeah, Hope. This height works better." She smiled a little as she closed her eyes again. "Thanks."

He leaned back against the log. A small smile spread. Softly he said, "You're welcome." He began combing her hair with his fingers. His smile widened with delight as the woman with him relaxed further. Lightly, he worked through the tangles, and Lightning surrendered to sleep.

Just as twilight deepened into night, Fang came back. Three smallish animals dangled from a cord she held while some herbs were thrust into her belt. "Heya there." Her brows furrowed as she caught sight of her two companions before she broke into a grin. "Tamed Lightning, did ya?" The huntress dropped the gutted carcasses and herbs next to her young companion.

He hissed back, "Fang!" Hope felt his entire body burn with embarrassment. "Really?" He ran a hand through his hair feeling discombobulated by his elder's comment. "She was hurting and needed to lie down. It was this or let her lie on her back, and that would guarantee an infection that coul-…."

"Calm down, Hope." Fang shook her head. _That was too easy._ She dialed down her smile. "I was just kidding." She gestured toward the sleeping woman. "That's the most relaxed I've seen Sunshine ever. She doesn't trust just anyone, yeah?" The huntress continued to methodically build the fire needed to cook their evening meal. "Pass those littl'uns to me, will you?"

Hope stopped even more confused by Fang's statements. _Of course she trusts me. She said we were partners._ Careful of Lightning, he passed the carcasses over to Fang for skinning and spitting. He answered her. "Well, yeah. She has her reasons, though." Feeling somewhat defensive on the sleeping woman's behalf, he continued, "And nobody can tame Lightning. She'd knock them into next year if they tried." He glanced down at his mentor admiringly. "I wouldn't have her any other way." His voice was so soft Fang didn't think he realized he'd said it aloud.

 _Hmph. Kid's got it bad._ Fang looked sidelong at the two as she spit the last critter and placed it with its kin over the fire. Her smile gentled. "Well, let's get the medicine made so we can keep Light from getting worse."

"Great. What can I do?" Hope asked her eagerly.

"Watch and learn." Fang winked pulling another light blush from the teen. _Yep. Too easy._

Fang took a slightly concave rock, a palm-sized rounded rock, and a rock with a cup shaped depression and placed them near enough to the others that Hope could see what she was doing in the firelight while being far enough away to avoid mishaps. They were very smooth and clean as if they'd been found in flowing water.

Dark green eyes met jade green eyes. "Pay very close attention. This here is called mountain balm." Holding up several woody branches with narrow purplish white flowers, Fang waited for Hope to nod. "Alright, and this," she held up a broadleaf wrapped bundle," is white dande sap. You can gather it from those." Pointing to one of the towering trees resembling the smaller Cocoonian dandelion flowers, she waited until the teen nodded again before continuing. "Here, hold this." She placed the bundle in Hope's hands. "Don't let it drip or you'll be sticky for days."

Fang lowered the mountain balm on to the concave rock. She pulled the flowers off the twigs then broke the twigs into smaller pieces. She set the twig bits aside. The flowers were centered on the large rock. Picking up the smallest rock, she began to bruise them with firm, staccato motions. As she pounded the mountain balm flowers she explained the process to Hope.

"Mountain balm is used to reduce pain and swelling. I'm bruising the flowers to release the oils that hold all the healing properties in the plant. The twigs don't work as well, and need to be ground into small pieces, so they're back up in case these aren't enough to do the job, yeah." Catching his concerned gaze, Fang reassured him, "No worries, Hope. These will be enough to get her through the night, then you two can heal us all up nice and neat in the morning." She waited for her assistant to nod an affirmative. "Ok. The white dande sap will fight off any infection and will make the poultice stick." He nodded again.

About that time, Fang finished with the flowers. She placed them in the cup shaped depression of the third rock. Rising briefly, she turned their dinner so the other side would cook. As she returned to her work, she reached for the bundle Hope was holding. "Give me that." Carefully unfolding the outer leaves, she drizzled the sap into the depression. "You want enough of the sap to cover the flowers or whatever else you're putting in the poultice. Too much and you get sticky soup; too little and you get a thick paste you can't apply to the wound." He nodded in understanding.

Once she had the desired amount, Fang wrapped the sap in its makeshift container again and handed it back to Hope with a mumbled "Watch yourself." He set it aside on the concave rock the warrior left within arm's reach. She used the small stone to mix the flowers with the sap. "We need to mix this together until the flowers, and their oil, are suspended in the sap. Then we let it sit for a few minutes. Always grind or pound your dry ingredients if you need to before adding the wet. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it."

"Good. I need to pull some of those leaves from over there," Fang continued her lesson, pointing to the northeast, "to cover the poultice. We do that to keep all the nasties out of it. Then we'll just need to get Supersoldier to agree to lie still since we can't secure the poultice onto her." She glanced at Hope as she stood up. "Think you can do that?"

"Yeah, Fang. I can do that." He smiled. "Light's not unreasonable."

The huntress-turned-healer lifted a brow. "You sure you and I know the same Lightning Farron?"

The boy folded his arms as he leveled a serious look at her. "Maybe." _Maybe not. Light_ _ **is**_ _different with me._

"Cheeky boy, aren't ya?" Fang shook her head. _Your secret's not as secret as you think, kiddo._ "Well, if we're going to make this work, I need to pick up those leaves, and you need to wake Lightning."

That reminder broke his bravado somewhat. "Right." Fang picked up her spear and walked into the darkness. Hope looked down at the peacefully sleeping soldier. _I really don't want to do this, but you need the medicine._ He shrugged his guilt away. The teen placed his hand on his mentor's shoulder and shook gently. "Hey, Light. Fang's back. You need to wake up." A twitch and whimper were her only response.

"Sorry." Hope changed tactics. He examined his gloves, grimacing at the sap, before removing them. _That's a mess I don't want to clean up._ The teen sighed. _Besides, she'll kill me if I get her sticky, and I don't want the glove to irritate or hurt her skin._ Then he rubbed his hand along Lightning's upper arm and shoulder. Although Lightning was badly injured, her upper arms were relatively unscathed. Drawing a deep breath, he raised his voice a bit. "Light. You need to wake up."

The woman groggily surfaced into near-consciousness. "Wha-? My turn...watch again?"

"No, Lightning." Hope kept his hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving. "Fang's back and dinner's almost ready." He pushed forward a bit when she tried rolling over onto her back. _She's going to hurt herself._ Worriedly he continued, "We need to get the medicine on your back, too. So don't move, ok?"

Lightning blinked clearing the exhaustion from her vision. _Svarog and triffids. Seriously wounded. No magic. Fell asleep._ "Right." She turned her head slowly to look up at her companion. "I'm fine, Hope. If you'll help me sit up..."

"Yeah. Give me a sec, Light." He considered their relative positions. He was sitting straight leaning against the log and facing southwest. She was lying on her side, head on his coat, perpendicular to his legs also facing southwest. _How are we going to move her without making her back bleed again? I'm not strong enough to simply lift her from here. And I can't shift to get enough leverage to lift her without hurting her._ He blew out a huff. _If she does it on her own or tries to roll..._. At that moment Lightning did just that, and Hope tightened his grip to keep her still. "Hold on, Lightning."

"Hope. Help me or get out of my way. I need to sit up." The elder Farron tried to put steel in her voice. She was still exhausted and feeling the after effects of the triffids' poison from earlier in the day; her words were a bit less intimidating than normal. "Now, Hope." She stiffened, eliciting a hiss of pain, as footsteps approached them.

Hope looked up in alarm that turned quickly to relief as Fang sauntered up. "Hey, Lightning. Don't give the kid too much grief. Sit tight, and I'll help you up." She placed a leaky frond basket next to the teenager. "Watch that." Coming around him to the soldier, she knelt down and placed her arms around Lightning's shoulders. The boy watched the women anxiously.

"Sorry, Light. This is gonna hurt." Fang pulled her closer a bit, then firmly and as gently as possible she maneuvered them both into a sitting position. As soon as the younger woman was stable, Fang moved back and halted Hope's outstretched hand. She whispered to him, "Let her settle first." He nodded in agreement then pulled his feet up and wrapped his arms around his knees instead.

"Sssss," Lightning hissed a breath in sharply. "No kidding." She began shifting to get comfortable. _Need to figure out how we're spending the night here._ She pointedly did not look at Hope. _A nap's one thing. His legs will cramp after an entire night of being a 'pillow.' S_ he caught a glimpse of the older woman walking toward the fire. _And there's no way I'll rest like that with Madam Mischief._

Fang noticed the movement as she checked the meat over the fire. "Don't lean against the log. You'll regret that." She smiled a bit as she pulled the meat up and turned to her friends. _Done. Good._ Each got a skewer. "Now, here's how this whole poultice thing works." Settling on the other side of Lightning on the log, Fang looked into the night. _This ought to be fun._ A wicked smile struggled to make its presence known.

"There are a few steps, and each one is painful or awkward." Fang's smile finally showed itself as the other two nodded glumly. "Probably both." Pulling meat from the cooling meal, she continued. "We need to strip you to your skin and wash your back, Light." The soldier stiffened while the teen blushed.

 _Oh no. Not in this lifetime._ Lightning shakily turned toward the older woman to tell her just what the soldier thought of that step when Hope's hand grasped her shoulder to keep her upright. She blushed while his blush refused to recede. _Awkward doesn't even begin to cover this, Fang._

"We know her back needs to be cleaned, Fang." _Stupid hormones are stupid._ "That doesn't mean she has to strip all the way down." The teen's cheeks deepened to scarlet when his voice broke on the last word. He closed his eyes in embarrassment. _Not now! Don't think about it, Hope._ He opened his eyes in defeat when the blush refused to leave. _I hate hormones._

"Let me finish; let me finish." Fang waved their concerns away, lips quirking further at the teen's cracking voice. "We **do** need to strip her to the skin because her jacket and sweater open in the front, and the poultice needs to go on her back." The warrior shook her head in amusement at their stunned reactions. _You two are hopeless._ "Here's how we're going to do that." Mischief glinted in her eyes.

She pointed at Hope. "You are going to help her out of her jacket while I move the water where I need it and find something to clean those gouges with. Then you're gonna come sit behind her giving her what privacy we can while I help her with that turtleneck of hers, yeah."

The teen reluctantly nodded. At Fang's lifted brow, Hope wanted to crawl under the log. _C'mon, Hope. She's your best friend...Your_ _ **injured**_ _best friend. Besides, a back is a back._ He took a deep breath and nodded more confidently. "Yeah. We can do this." He wasn't quite convinced.

"Fine." Lightning's voice cut through the darkness like her namesake. "What else do we have to do?"

"Glad you asked, Sunshine." Fang's gaze shifted to the pink-haired woman next to her. "I wash your back while Hope stands by with a steadying hand if you need it." A sudden intake of breath followed by a gulp was heard from the youngest of the group as he dropped his gaze to his shoes. Lightning simply narrowed her eyes threateningly as the warrior continued, "We'll have to let you air dry because we have nothing clean enough to hurry that along."

"What about your sari?" Lightning's face felt like it was on fire. She cut a glare at the blue-clad woman sitting above her. The other woman's lingering smile added fuel to the soldier's simmering temper. "Keep milking this for amusement, Fang, and that slap in Palumpolum won't be your last from me."

Hope looked up from his toes in shock, eyes wide. "What?! When did that happen?"

"Promises, promises, Light." Fang shook her head at Hope denying him an answer. "As I was saying, my sari is dirty, sweaty, and blood-soaked just like your jacket. It won't do the job right." She smirked again. "Besides, in Oerba we didn't really dress in layers like you Cocoon people do."

Hope's eyes snapped back to his shoes as his face became redder than the firelight could make it. _I swear she does this on purpose._

Lightning tried to scramble to her feet. "That's it!" A grunt of pain escaped her as she fell back to a seated position. Fang and Hope both reached out to steady her. "Let go of me!" The older woman removed her hand while the teen refused.

"Light. Let's just get this over with." He glared at the eldest of them, blaming Fang for Lightning's renewed pain. "She won't let up until it's done, and she doesn't have the opportunity any more." As Lightning calmed and steadied herself, Hope removed the hand he'd instinctively reached toward her when she began to fall. "What's the rest of it, Fang." He paused for emphasis. "The short version."

"My point was there **aren't** a lot of options for doing things traditionally." Fang shook her head. "And, yeah, I poked a little fun at you two in the process." Her good humor returned. "You both make it too good to pass up."

"I'm going to slap you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. And just like last time I'll deserve it. But now isn't tomorrow, is it?" Fang met Hope's perturbed gaze. "Don't think I don't know the significance of that blade you have in your hand, either, kid. Remember, I'm not Snow."

Hope looked down at the knife he held in his hand. He quickly folded it and gave it back to Lightning who put it back in her thigh pack. "I had it while Light slept in case something attacked us." Still feeling sullen, he added, "I'm not that kid any more."

His mentor lifted her hand to ruffle his hair or poke him in his forehead as was her habit. She settled for poking him in the arm instead when the stiffness that set in while she was resting prevented her from reaching any higher. "No. You're not." She smiled softly. He returned it.

Fang watched their interaction. _Yep. Clueless._ She considered her friends' words. _Maybe I went too far. Maybe._ She continued her explanation of how the poultice needed to be done. "Right, then. Once Light's back is dry, we smear the mountain bloom/white dande sap mix onto the wounds. Here's where it gets tricky."

"These leaves here," the hunter held up the leaves she'd gathered, "need to cover the sap mix for two reasons. One, it keeps everything else," Fang waved her hands indicating their surroundings, "out. Two, it holds the poultice mix in place...more or less." She carefully considered her next words. "In Oerba, the healers would wrap the poultice with something to hold the leaves in place so the patient could rest comfortably. Problem is we don't have anything to wrap you with."

"You, Light, will have to lay on your front or the poultice won't stay in place and may actually attract nasties of various kinds into your wounds. Here's the kicker. The risk of infection also means you can't put your torn and bloody clothing on until you're healed tomorrow since you won't be wrapped."

"And that means... **what**...exactly?" The soldier's soft voice was keen as her gunblade.

 _Here goes nothing._ The older woman drew a fortifying breath. "And that means you'll sleep topless all night."

An intrepid person by nature, Fang counted down to her companions' reactions and kept her expression serious. Stunned at the woman's blunt declaration, Hope snapped his head up to meet her gaze. _At this rate the kid will give himself whiplash._ Lightning, equally stunned, stared at her with wide, bewildered eyes. _In 3...2..._

"Absolutely no-...What abo-...Cure will ta-...You can't poss-…." Hope and Lightning were both utterly astounded at their friend's suggestion, and they spoke over each other in their haste to refute her conclusion. Her lack of response and completely unmoved expression slowed their speech to a stop.

"Do either of you have a better idea, then?" Fang glared hard at both of them. _They look like chocobos surrounded by gorgonopsids in a box canyon._ She continued sternly, "Cure won't help if the infection has spread too far or stayed too long. Traditional medicine will work **if** we apply the poultice tonight. Or you **might** get lucky with a Raise. I don't think even the Old Man would take his chances with that; I've never seen it work on wounds as severe as yours." She pointed at Lightning, "And make no mistake, Sunshine. You **are** seriously injured, magic or no magic."

Hope found himself frantically trying to solve another problem his limited experience hadn't prepare him for. _She can't die. That's what Fang is saying; she does this or she dies before we can help her._ He looked to his partner for guidance, but she was still digesting everything Fang had said. _Great. What do we do? I mean, Lightning..._ He felt another flush wash up his chin, over his ears, and into his hairline. _All. Night?! Fang's gotta be..._ He clenched his hands. The action curled fabric into his fist.

 _Wait._ The teen pulled it into the light where he could see it. He found himself holding the soldier's cape. Which seemed to be in decent shape, especially considering the rest of their clothing. "Fang? Light?" He looked towards the women having a stare down. _Uh-oh. This could end badly. Light's not up for a fight, and Fang's not wrong._

He reached out and placed his hand softly against Lightning's nearest shoulder drawing her attention. "Light." His mentor switched her cutting glare to him.

"What, Hope?"

The young man held up the bit of scarlet cape he grasped. "This might work to hold the poultice in place."

She glanced down. "It just might." The soldier looked at the other woman smugly. "Will this do All Knowing One?"

Fang chuckled briefly. "I think the kid deserves that title if his idea works." Leaning forward, she unclasped the bit of fabric from the soldier's uniform. She briefly measured it against Light's torso crosswise and lengthwise then examined it's cleanliness. "I think it just might." She gestured to Hope. "Bring that basket of water over here before we're swimming in mud." He did as told; surprisingly only one third of the water had leaked out and down slope during their discussion. "Now we just need something to wash you with, Light."

"I'm not an invalid, Fang. You can cut the crap now." Lightning rolled her eyes, cutting her younger companion's response short.

"Doesn't change the fact that if I have to use that cape to wash your back, you're still going topless tonight."

 _Shut!_ _ **Up!**_ _Fang!_ Blushing profusely as an image of a half naked Lightning danced across his mind, Hope interrupted them. "Ummm, I might be able to fix that." He untied the yellow cloth around his wrist. "Will one of these work, Fang?" Handing it to her he began untying his green neckerchief.

Lightning stopped him as he pulled it away from his neck. "Your mother bought you that, Hope. Didn't she?"

"Yeah. In Bodhum." Grief clouded his eyes. He shook it off. "It's oka-"

"No. It's not." The injured woman wrapped the boy's hands around the green cloth then held them in hers. "That's yours, and I won't be responsible for damaging it."

Fang interrupted the brewing argument. "Hmmm, I think this yellow one will do nicely. You've kept good care of it." She smiled at Hope in approval. "Let's get to it. Yeah?"

Hope smiled and nodded before gently removing his hands from the soldier's grip.

 **Forty-Five Minutes Later**

"Hmmm. That came out better than even I thought it would." Fang looked at their handiwork with pride. The poultice went on and was wrapped without a hitch; the cleaning process was less than pleasant. _I think Hope's presence is the only thing that kept me in one piece tonight._ She looked over at the woman settling in for the night. "What do you think, Light? How's it feel?"

"Better than the alternative, that's for sure." Wrapped from her waist to her underarms, Lightning settled onto the torn jacket Hope laid out for her on the other side of their now-banked fire. The active substances in the poultice were already working. The worst of her pain had faded. Looking at her partner, she asked, "You're sure this is ok? Your legs are going to fall asleep."

Hope smiled at her. "Don't worry, Light. I'll be fine." He placed his coat on his lap. They'd decided to rest the same as they had during Fang's hunt for food and medicine earlier in the day despite Lightning's misgivings and the couple's awkwardness about the whole affair. "Just consider this spot reserved for you."

"Right." Lightning placed her head in his lap near his knees facing the fire, and Hope settled her stiff sweater over her shoulders to keep the worst of the night off her. She looked at the other woman setting up her watch. "Fang?"

"Yeah, Light." Fang looked up from sharpening her spear.

"Thanks." The soldier allowed a small smile to grace her features.

"You're welcome." Fang returned the gesture. She shifted her gaze to Hope who seemed struck by the other woman's expression. Her smile widened to a grin. "Guess the kid was right;" her gaze shifted back to the soldier, "you're not completely unreasonable."

Reaching out to keep Lightning resting, the teen snarled, "Fang!" He blushed scarlet. "I thought you said she needed to rest."

"Oh, she does." She continued to sharpen her spear with a wide grin.

"Stop teasing him, Fang!" Lightning's gaze was stinging in its intensity. "At this rate I'm going to hit you like I did Snow on Lake Bresha."

Fang looked up, "Oh, so you were the one responsible for that lovely shiner he was sporting when Rygdea and I picked him up."

Hope snorted. "And every other bruise he had. She hit him three times." He covered his mouth as he started laughing. "Knocked the big guy flat on his ass!"

Light turned her glare on her protégé where it softened into something warmer. "Quiet, you. How can I sleep if my pillow keeps moving?" She gave his knee and leg a good shove as if she were forcing a pillow into shape.

"Ow, ow! Okay. I'll be quiet." The teen brought his laughter under control. "G'night, Light. G'night, Fang."

He started combing his fingers through his best friend's hair like he did earlier and admired the splash of scarlet around her ribs and waist where her sweater couldn't cover the cape. _She's perfect._

"Good night, Hope." The two women wished Hope good night at the same time. Lightning felt the relaxing movement of his fingers in her hair and was soon asleep. Fang watched the two with a fond smile. "Get some sleep, Hope, or you'll be useless tomorrow when it's time to heal our Ray o' Sunshine."

"On it." He leaned against the log behind him. Then he allowed the warmth of the fire, the soothing sensation of Lightning's hair through his fingers, and the rhythmic 'shing-shing' of Fang's whetstone against her spear blades to lull him to sleep.


	5. In Storms I Wait (A Light in the Dark)

**A/N** : For HopeRai Week 2015. **Prompt** : A Light in the Darkness

 **Obligatory Disclaimer** : I don't own any part of FFXIII.

 **Summary** : Ephemeral memories and a haunting loneliness plague Director Hope Estheim. Centuries ago he and his l'Cie companions saved their worlds from annihilation. In their salvation there was loss; one who was supposed to come home didn't. Still, even after Etro's death, a glimmer of hope remains.

* * *

 **In Storms I Wait**

 **Etro's Temple, Etro's Death +10 years**

Jade green eyes below wind-tossed silver hair watched the storm move in from the sea. Dark gray-green waves pummeled the shore beneath his feet. The tall slight man stood, hands in his pockets, a few feet from the cliff's edge lost in thought. Black boots were topped by dark gray slacks, a white button-down shirt, light blue tie, and a vaguely military-style white and yellow jacket with silver trim; the uniform wasn't much different whether he was a student or the Director. That was done purposefully all those centuries ago. He found comfort in familiar things no matter how painful some memories were. The military-ish style kept her presence close to him, and the blue of the tie reminded him of her eyes.

Thunder rumbled in the far distance while the graying sky lit up with a slash of pink as sharp as her blade. _So many reminders. So few concrete memories._ He drew a shuddering breath. _So many emotions._ Hope closed his eyes. _I'd give_ _ **anything**_ _to see her again._

He slowly opened his eyes to gaze again upon the outer storm that mirrored his inner one. _But not like_ _ **this**_ _._ The former Academy Director fought the urge to turn and face the Temple behind him. The failed Champion of Etro would rest there until the Chaos consumed the world and her with it. Hope couldn't face that bitter loss again. With a pained vehemence not heard from him since his l'Cie days, he muttered, " **Never** like this."

"Director!" Saraya Nolan, a senior field researcher of what was left of the Academy, approached.

Hope's despondent thoughts didn't register anything beyond the sight in front of him. _I can't lose her a third time!_

"Director!" Saraya's second attempt snatched his attention.

Sliding his professional façade in place, the former Director turned and answered with a calm belying the emotional storm reflected in the clouds above. "Just Hope. What did you find?" Centuries of practice made the mask nigh impenetrable. If not for the subject matter, his field researcher would've been oblivious to the data's importance to the man standing coolly in front of her.

"Sir, we measured the structure of the goddess' crystal throne and the champion's crystal. We also managed to measure the crystals' frequency with the wind blowing as it is." Saraya gazed at her data pad in an effort to grant her superior a modicum of privacy; everyone knew how sensitive Director Hope was about anything to do with the crystals and his l'Cie companions. Ten years ago when time first stopped his grief over the Farron sisters' fate, particularly the Champion of Etro, was the subject of clandestine gossip for weeks after, more so even than the reunion with the other Heroes of Time - Noel Kreiss, Snow Villiers, and Sazh Katzroy. It was only in the last year that the Chaos around the Temple had settled enough for a research team to enter and try to deduce what happened. Unsurprisingly, Hope insisted on leading the team.

"The results are only preliminary at this time. We've cross-referenced the throne's and champion's crystal readings with those of the Daughters' crystals." The field researcher paused uncertain how to continue. Glancing quickly at Hope, she decided directly was best. "The throne's crystal is a match. The champion's is not." Ms. Nolan held the data pad out for Hope's perusal.

"I'm sorry, sir. There isn't much more we can glean here." She left unsaid the obvious: Without a common molecular structure, the remnants of the Academy did not have the resources to figure out how to decrystallise Fang and Vanille as well as Lightning. Maybe if they also didn't have to resolve the Chaos Problem they could find a way. Given the current reality, it was study the Chaos and one crystal structure **or** the other - not both.

Hope quickly scanned and processed the data displayed on the pad. _Great! Not only do I have to choose... The choice is likely to be made for me when I show this to the Conseil. Fang's and Vanille's crystals are a perfect match for Etro's throne._ He passed the pad back to Saraya. "Prepare a report of the findings. I want a more in-depth analysis once we get back just to be sure." She nodded and walked back to her team. _There_ _ **has**_ _to be a way to save them all._

As his team packed up their equipment, Hope finally turned and approached the throne and its occupant. "We're partners, Light. That's what you said in the Whitewood." He gazed longingly at Lightning's crystallized form. "Being your partner is the only thing driving me forward. I promise I **will** bring you back, and it will be to a world worth living in." The Academy Director understood the elder Farron's motivations better than anyone alive. He **knew** his mentor entered crystal stasis as a direct result of her sister's death. _Damn Caius. And damn Etro for all eternity._ His rancor dripped acid even in his thoughts.

Turning swiftly from the shattered remnants of his fondest dreams, Hope Estheim left his heart atop the dead goddess' throne.

 **Etro's Temple, Etro's Death +15 years**

Hope again stood along the Temple's cliff faces as a storm approached. _Hmph. I feel you best when your namesake shatters the sky._ He shook his head at his thoughts. A bauble, the pink reminiscent of the rose crystal from his fondest memories, floated into his peripheral vision.

"Kupo." Mog looked curiously at the young man. "Lightning rests here because of Serah, kupo?"

"That's what I think, Mog." Hope glanced at the moogle before staring out to sea again. "Light would do anything for Serah, and I'm certain she blames herself for Serah's death." A pained twisting of lips passed over his expression. "Lightning was never particularly good at being vulnerable. 'Lightning...it can't protect; it only destroys.' That's what she told me under Palumpolum while we were l'Cie." He shook his head. _If only you truly believed you were Light as you told me to call you. Maybe you would've made a different choice._

"Serah wouldn't want this, kupo." Mog's saddened tones shivered through the air between them. Man and moogle watched the storm's approach shrouded in melancholy silence.

Lost in his thoughts, Hope sent a message from his heart to hers. _You will forever be my guiding Light._

 **Moogle Village, Etro's Death +250 years**

Two and a half centuries had passed since Serah's death and time stopped, and Hope was no closer to resolving humanity's immortality, Chaos' degradation, or freeing anyone from crystal stasis. Gazing out over the Chaos-infused sea, Hope watched a small chaos storm roll into the Wildlands from Etro's Temple. _Chaos is moving into what little remains of our world, and those storms are becoming more frequent. We can barely reach the Temple any more._ He tried to breathe the sadness out of his lungs. _I miss you, Light._

Watching the comings and goings of the people in the station, his thoughts continued their downward path. _Funny, people fought for life tooth and claw before Etro was killed. Now that she's gone, taking Light with her, many desire nothing more than death's long sleep._ The former Academy Director-former no matter what the others said-trudged from the train station towards the road leading to Canopus Farms. From there, he'd borrow a chocobo and head into the Moogle Village.

Several hours later, Hope found himself seated with King Mog and a few other curious moogles. He graciously accepted a portion of mushroom stew. The not-so-young scientist resigned himself long ago to being the subject of moogle curiosity. This visit was no different.

"How does it feel to be royalty, Mog?" Hope smiled at the small being he'd cradled so gently centuries ago. The two had become fast friends over the years, tied together by their unquestioning loyalty and regard for a certain pink-haired ex-soldier.

Mog gave his guest a disgruntled look. "You always ask the same question, kupo."

"Because you never answer," Hope paused with a small grin before adding, "kupo."

"Now you're just making fun of me, kupo!"

"No! Honest." Some of the crushing loneliness faded from his heart when Hope visited. _I think that's true for Mog, too._

"Tell me a story, King Mog." The scientist's expression turned into a strange mixture of wistful and forlorn. "How did you find yourself in service to Lightning?" Mog was surprised. Hope didn't often visit, and when he did it was usually on his way to or from Etro's Temple. He'd never shown interest in Mog's time in Valhalla, and for his part, Mog was well-aware of Hope's vulnerability when it came to Lightning so the moogle never mentioned it.

"This will sound silly, kupo." The small moogle paused; the man indicated he should keep going. "I challenged Lightning to a duel, kupo. I put up quite the fight, kupo!" Hope smiled imagining just what kind of fight the small creature put up. Mog continued, oblivious. "Finally, Lightning got me, kupo." The moogle looked conspiratorially at Hope. "Lightning **cheats** , kupo!"

Hope burst out laughing. "I don't think she cheats, Mog. She simply takes advantage of opportunity."

"Of course you'd take her side, kupo." Mog twirled in mid-air before settling back into his story. "Anyway, kupo, in Valhalla the weak serve the strong. Because Lightning defeated me, kupo, I was bound to serve her, kupo. I would've done it anyway, kupo-po." Hope nodded in agreement. The small creature looked at his human companion seriously for a moment. "Do you have any idea how hard Lightning pokes foreheads, kupo?"

Hope's lingering smile turned into something softer and sadder. "Yeah, actually. I do." He rubbed at the phantom sensation between his eyes.

 **The Void Beyond, The Last Day**

Hope gazed around himself searching for a spark, anything at all, that would allow him to get one last message to Lightning before he faded completely. From the darkness around him, a small pink speck began to glitter. From that direction, he heard a soft voice call for him. He responded, "Mog?"

"It **is** you, kupo-po!" Mog zipped into Hope's vision. "Lightning will be so happy, kupo!"

"Wait, Mog!" Hope took a deep breath. _This is best for her and everyone else._ Exhaling slowly, he addressed the moogle's confusion at his hesitance. "I need you to do me a favor, Mog. Me and Light." He stared gravely into Mog's eyes. "I need you to pass on a message that won't be garbled or twisted by Bhunivelze. Will you do that for me?"

"Kupo? But...but... You're here, kupo, and not there. Why can't you tell Lightning yourself, kupo?" The moogle's confusion intensified.

"I'm not going to be here much longer, Mog. Please, do this for me. For me and Light and everyone."

"Ok, kupo." Mog's pom-pom drooped.

"Tell Lightning that she needs to keep her eyes front. I'll watch the rear." Hope kept his eyes on Mog's. "Exactly that, Mog. 'Keep your eyes front; I'll watch the rear.'" He waited until the moogle nodded. "Thank you." A beatific smile grew on Hope's lips as he felt the Savior's powers reach out. "She's calling you, Mog. Go to her and watch over her for me, will you?" He sighed with a bittersweet contentment. _Watch over her, my friend, because I no longer can._

 **The New World, Estheim-Farron Residence**

Since being reborn, Hope often just wandered about immersing himself in the natural cycles of this world. Lightning found him several weeks before, and she made good her promise to never abandon him. Logically, he knew she hadn't a choice in the Old World, but sometimes those insecurities and fears from that time still overwhelmed him. It was during those kinds of days or nights when Light would find him somewhere outside, mind drifting aimlessly and seeking relief. The memories of his days under the sun or watching the night sky and her presence were a necessary panacea to his traumatized soul.

Today was a bit different for the researcher. A seasonal storm was moving in, and he'd dragged Lightning out to the porch to watch it with him. "Why are we out here, Hope? Wouldn't you rather be inside out of the wet?"

The taller of the two smiled gleefully. "Just sit with me, Lightning. There's nothing quite like watching a storm move in, around, and out." He tugged her down onto their porch swing as he sat and tucked her into his shoulder. "Besides, I have a good feeling about this." She settled close to him with a muffled "Hmph" and a slight rolling of the eyes. A small smile played about the corners of her lips.

As the first bit of thunder rumbled through and a flash of lightning cracked the sky, a small white cat came bounding onto the porch. It had a light red, almost pink, spot between its ears. It bravely jumped onto the swing and settled itself on Hope. A rumbling purr ran counterpoint to the thunder as it faced the storm with slitted eyes.

Hope reached out with his right hand and ran his fingers over the feline's lush fur. "Huh. Looks kinda like Mog, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does." Lightning added her ministrations to Hope's efforts. "It certainly seems to prefer you." She nudged the man next to her playfully.

The silver-haired man laughed self-consciously. "If it sticks around, we should give him to Serah. I think she'd appreciate that." Lightning nodded in agreement.

With another crack of thunder and flash of lightning, the clouds burst open. Rain hissed on the dry grasses as the storm moved overhead. Hope gently threaded his left fingers unconsciously through Light's hair; it was a small connection he compulsively pursued whenever she was close to him. Swallowing hard, he tried to explain why he pulled her out to watch the storm with him. His quiet voice was barely heard over the weather.

"After you were taken, I always felt closest to you in storms like this." He pulled her closer. _I waited for you in storms like this._ He couldn't bring himself to say that out loud; never would he be responsible for increasing the burden she carried despite their fresh start. Leaning his forehead against her hair, he continued. "They were the only things that brought me solace by the time I...," his voice broke, "...left for the Ark."

Lightning removed her hand from Mog's fur; she was certain the stray was Mog. She turned her head and lifted her hands to his face. Her firm aqua gaze met his tear-filled green. "I'm not going anywhere. Ever. Again." She lightly pressed her lips to his forehead then his lips in comfort. Pulling away so she could look directly at him again, she continued, "I'm right where I want to be, and there are no gods to interfere this time." She sent him a quirky smile. "We made sure of that."

Hope relaxed into her hands. A small heartfelt smile eased his expression. "Yeah. We did." His arms wrapped around her slender waist. He pulled her closer and kissed her, passion rising quickly as it always did. They pulled apart with a shared gasp. This time it was Lightning who rested her forehead against his. Smile growing wider, Hope said, "I'd still like to watch the storm with you. Then we can take this little guy to see Serah."

"Sounds good." They turned to face the storm. His hands ran through her hair while her head rested against his shoulder. The newly named Mog settled on them both and purred loudly.

In the years to come, storm watching became a shared experience between them.


	6. A Price to Pay (Post-Apoc AU)

**A/N** : For HopeRai Week 2015. **Prompt** : Post-apocalyptic AU

 **Obligatory Disclaimer** : I don't own any part of FFXIII.

 **NOTES** : This AU is slated to become a multi-chapter fic later ( _Treasure Amongst the Ashes_ ). This is simply a snapshot from within the broader story I think fits the prompt. Let me know what works and what doesn't, please; all feedback is appreciated.

Many thanks to shadowmeowth and her character/element association gifset (found on tumblr). The first draft of (what was) the first paragraph plus that gifset gave birth to this entire AU. :D

Officially, years are demarcated as 'AF' for 'After Fall' as in XIII-2. The general public, the Academy, and all official documentation/correspondence use the AF dating system. Sanctum personnel and facilities use a different dating system in conjunction with or in lieu of the AF system on internal and private documentation/correspondence. This system is based on the current Primarch's last name ( _Example_ : "D" for "Dysley"), "R" for "Reign," followed by the year/month/date since the induction of the current Primarch. The current year is 1003 AF, or NR 11/3/6. A single year consists of 13 months of 28 days each (lunar months, basically). Hopefully, this will keep any potential confusion on the dates in the fic to a minimum.

A note on some terminology later in the story. "Tag 'n' Bag" is a military term used under very miserable circumstances - the ID and removal of a corpse. Known demographic data (name, age, etc) is written on the tag, and the tag is attached to (usually) the big toe. Then the body is placed into a body bag and zipped up for transport. I used this term deliberately to evoke a specific emotional reaction to the circumstances it's attached to.

As always, statements in double quotes are speech, statements without quotes are thoughts, and single quotes are special based on their context (onomatopoeia, euphemism, quoting another, etc.).

 **Summary** : In the war between the Elementa and Humanity, between Valhalla and Gran Pulse, newly-instated Academy Director Hope Estheim discovers Pulse's darkest secret in a mysterious portfolio awaiting him in his new office. The information he uncovers reduces his wishes for peace and a rekindled friendship to a pile of ash. Director Estheim learns miracles are wishes that come with a price. In a moment of desperation, he decides the price he is willing to pay as he discovers the true desire of his heart.

* * *

 **A Price to Pay**

 **Academy HQ, Academia, Gran Pulse**

Striding quickly down the hall on the 353rd floor of the Academy, Hope spoke urgently to the dark haired man to his right. "We need to do this right, Rygdea. The Champion and Etro's Guardians are already laying waste to the outskirts of New Town. Caius and his forces are coming in from the other side of Cocoon's Pillar according to the Cavalry's intel. If we don't reach out to her..."

"I know, Hope. I don't fancy being caught between those two in any case." Rygdea's grin could cut glass. "Are you sure this Lightning is the one we should be dealing with, though?" At Hope's sharp glance, the former Cavalry captain felt compelled to justify the question. "Just wondering if you're a little too close to that situation." He paused to allow the Director to respond. When the younger man didn't, he continued, "Caius certainly has the power to decide this war one way or the other all by himself. We don't know what Etro wants in exchange for an armistice, and she's the one who's calling the shots for the Guardians and that Champion of hers." Reaching the central lift, both men entered. The older man selected the topmost floor before making a last comment, "I'm sure he understands the concept 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'" His companion waited for the doors to close before speaking.

"I don't trust Caius. Period." Dark brows furrowed over sea green eyes. "He was Lightning's second until he went rogue a couple of years ago. He's been attacking targets in Valhalla and on Gran Pulse with no apparent pattern since." Hope lifted hard eyes as he drove his concern home while defending his desire to approach Etro's Champion instead. "He forswore the kind of oaths that no Elementa has breached in a thousand years or more. Without knowing WHY Caius Ballad broke his Guardian Oath to his Queen, I won't trust him."

Rygdea responded as the lift's doors opened onto the open floor plan of the 500th floor. "In the published formal declaration of war, Ambassador Villiers stated Valhalla's grievances were based on 'crimes against creation' and 'breach of treaty.' Maybe it has something to do with that."

The newly-instated Academy Director pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "That could easily be said of Etro as well." At the older man's nod, he let his hand drop to his side and exited the lift with purpose. _Frankly, I don't care_ _ **what**_ _Caius'_ _reasons are. Lightning is Etro's Champion and Chosen; she is the_ _ **only**_ _Elementa with the authority to negotiate a binding treaty in Etro's place._ Hope led Rygdea to his new office. The only closed-off room on the entire floor, it's central location protected it from outside dangers and made the sitting Director easily accessible to the other denizens of the floor—provided that person wanted to be available. Hope did not wish to be disturbed. Closing the door behind him, he first noticed his pristine desk. _**That**_ _won't last long._ Then he noticed the portfolio sitting conspicuously in the middle of it.

The silver-haired man stepped around the desk, sat, and pulled the portfolio closer. _What is this?_ He gazed quizzically at his companion. "Rygdea. Do you know what this is or who it's from?" Rygdea shook his head silently. Hope looked back down then pushed it aside. _It'll have to wait._ The Director looked back up toward his military liaison. "Who do you have approaching Etro's Champion?"

"A civilian pilot named Sazh Katzroy. Old Man Sazh can take care of himself, and he's not military. I thought that might make your Champion a bit more welcoming of the man." Rygdea smirked again at his superior's awkward silence. The older man met and became good friends with Hope's father, Bartholomew Estheim, when Hope was fourteen. The familiarity granted him insight into his usually impervious protégé. Much to Hope's discomfort, that knowledge included his connection with Lightning Farron. Taking pity on the younger man, Rygdea continued. "You might recognize his son's name better. Dajh Katzroy."

Hope grasped the verbal reprieve with alacrity. "Right. Wasn't he the first human to ever manifest magic without becoming l'Cie?" Rygdea nodded. "Water magic, if I recall correctly." Another nod from his companion. He murmured to himself, "I wonder how that's possible."

Rygdea noticed Hope's gaze turn hazy and unfocused, or rather focused on something no one else could see. "Hope! Let's stay on task, 'kay?" He stifled a laugh at his friend's son. _Kid will never change; head more in the clouds than on the ground. The Academy needs more like him._ His expression briefly turned grim before he smoothed it. _Too bad for us, the Sanctum always did value political machinations over visionaries._ Not for the first time since war erupted after a millennium of peace, Rygdea wondered if somehow, with no one noticing, Pulse was at fault. The Elementa had never struck him as particularly aggressive.

Silver hair whipped back and forth as Hope shook the half-formed hypotheses and thoughts away. "Right. Sorry. Let me know when Mr. Katzroy returns, if Caius breaches Academia's borders, or if the Guardians' magic begins to break physical laws here as it has elsewhere."

"Right-O." Rygdea gave Hope a smart salute that was only partially ruined by the crooked smile and wink he tossed the younger man's way. "I'll keep you posted on all developments." Sharply turning on his heel as Hope shook his head at the older man's antics, Rygdea left.

"First things first..." The young Director reached out and pulled the portfolio toward him. An uneasy feeling, one that left him nauseous and his palms sweaty, washed over him. After two false starts, he opened the file and began to read.

 _ **924 AF, Dysley Reign - 3rd year/3rd month/25th day, Annouska Nabaat - Lead Scientist**_

 _ **Project**_ **Extraction** _ **, Sanctum Laboratory**_ **Elfynndu**

 _ **Test Subject**_ _: Alpha_

 _ **Race**_ _: Elementa_

 _ **Primary Element Affiliation**_ _: Fire_

 _ **Gender**_ _: Male_

 _ **Height**_ _: 5'6"_

 _ **Weight**_ _: 123 lbs._

 _ **Age**_ _: Mid-teens_

 _ **Appearance**_ _: cobalt hair, black eyes, pale skin_

 _ **Means of Recruitment**_ _: A PSICOM retrieval unit was dispatched immediately upon detection of an unrecognized Elementa life signature stepping out of the rift 3.26 miles east of New Eden's outskirts (DR 3/2/6). The team successfully apprehended their target with minimal injuries to all parties and returned to base._

 _ **Preliminary Testing Results**_ _: The subject has been tested with all known Elementa affiliations to determine strength and versatility in each. Strength is the primary variable while versatility is secondary. Fire is the subject's primary element. His strength is moderate with maximum versatility. The subject's weakest element is Dark. Strength is negligible with low versatility. Subject ranks in other elements as follows: Earth-moderate/moderate, Lightning-moderate/low, Air-moderate/low, Holy-low/high, Ice-low/low, Water-negligible/moderate._

 _..._

 _ **DR 3/4/11**_ _: Today we saw some success with this test subject. The tests were designed to evaluate the extent to which Subject Alpha can use two or more elements at the same time. To this end the evaluation began with the subject confronting two beasts with the same elemental weaknesses (Ice and Water - leyaks) and two beasts with weak/absorb qualities to the same element (Air - rangda (absorb), amphisbaena (weak))._

 _As expected, the subject had difficulty with the leyaks as the subject is not particularly gifted with the beast's elemental weaknesses; the beasts were killed in 3 minutes, 18 seconds. After a 15 minute rest and meal break, the subject confronted the rangda and amphisbaena. The subject defeated the amphisbaena in 2 minutes, 3 seconds. The rangda was defeated in 2 minutes, 26 seconds. Total battle time was 4 minutes, 29 seconds. Subject's magical reservoir was depleted to minimum detection levels._

 _Next tests will commence as soon as subject's reservoir regenerates; expected timetable is two days. Variables to be tested include sleep deprivation, injury, beasts with elemental resistances, and beasts with no weaknesses at all._

 _Next tests to be designed and submitted for approval: Protecting another, difficult terrain, beasts with a pre-condition before taking damage._

 _ **926 AF, Dysley Reign - 5th year/1st month/2nd day, Clarice Rosch - Lead Scientist**_

 _ **Project**_ **Extraction** _ **, Sanctum Laboratory**_ **Dynnol**

 _ **Test Subject**_ _: Zeta_

 _ **Race**_ _: Elementa_

 _ **Primary Element Affiliation**_ _: Ice, Holy_

 _ **Gender**_ _: Female_

 _ **Height**_ _: 5'3"_

 _ **Weight**_ _: 118 lbs._

 _ **Age**_ _: Late thirties_

 _ **Appearance**_ _: red hair, blue eyes, fair skin_

 _ **Means of Recruitment**_ _: Subject Zeta came to New Eden searching for treatment of an unknown disorder. She was admitted into the Academy's satellite medical facility for testing DR 4/11/6. Per Subject Zeta's official records signed by Sanctum physician Dr. Kiry Napoli, she died of the disorder on DR 4/12/18. Per the traditions of her people, her body was cremated and her ashes returned to Valhalla for interment. Subject Zeta entered Sanctum Laboratory's_ Project Extraction _records DR 4/12/20. The unknown disorder was a discordance with her magical energies caused by living too close to a rift. Subject has been successfully transferred from Lab_ Elfynndu _near New Eden's rift to Lab_ Dynnol _to resolve the anomaly affecting her._

 _ **Preliminary Testing Results**_ _: The subject has been tested with all known Elementa affiliations to determine strength and versatility in each. Strength is the primary variable while versatility is secondary. Subject Zeta is the first subject discovered with two primary elements - Ice and Holy. Her strength is high with high versatility in both. The subject's weakest element is Earth. Strength is low with moderate versatility. Subject ranks in other elements as follows: Lightning-moderate/maximum, Dark-moderate/moderate, Air-moderate/low, Water-low/maximum, Fire-low/high._

 _..._

 _ **DR 5/13/8**_ _: Today Subject Zeta was placed in isolation. This marks the fourth time in the 12 months and 6 days she's been at Lab_ Dynnol _that isolation has become necessary. Primarch Dysley has decreed that should a fifth isolation period become necessary in the next 3 years, Subject Zeta's contributions to this Project be terminated._

A stunned Hope sifted through the numerous papers included in the mysterious portfolio. _What were they_ _ **doing**_ _? Why weren't they_ _ **stopped**_ _?! They_ _ **were**_ _stopped. Right?_ The subject's identifiers and experimentation dates jumped out at him. Five more in 938 AF. Another fifteen by 943 AF. Twenty taken in 962 AF. Nearly another one hundred taken by 977 AF. One hundred twenty taken by 990 AF. An average of eight to ten taken in the years 992 AF, 993 AF, 994 AF... _They_ _ **accelerated**_ _their kidnappings and experiments?! No wonder the Elementa declared war on us._ The list of captives slowed to a trickle once the war started in 997 AF. The last captive in the portfolio was taken in 1001 AF. There was no data for several years between the earliest entry in 924 AF and the last entry in 1001 AF.

"Who **authorized** this?" Hope startled himself out of his appalled bewilderment when he spoke aloud. Jumping a bit in his seat and quickly scanning his office as if Caius, Etro, or (Maker forbid) Lightning could walk through walls to get to him, he forcefully calmed himself down. Refocusing on the damning evidence in front of him, he pulled the reports dated 990 AF and later for further study. Methodically and with a growing knot in his stomach, Director Estheim delved into Pulse's best kept secret only to find it was also the Academy's darkest stain...

 _ **996 AF, Nabaat Reign - 4th year/13th month/25th day, Jihl Nabaat - Lead Scientist, Alyssa Zaidelle - Academy Liaison**_

 _ **Project**_ **Util** **itarian** _ **, Sanctum Laboratory**_ **Wythnol**

 _ **Test Subject**_ _: 626_

 _ **Race**_ _: Elementa_

 _ **Primary Element Affiliation**_ _: Water_

 _ **Gender**_ _: Female_

 _ **Height**_ _: 5'4"_

 _ **Weight**_ _: 108 lbs._

 _ **Age**_ _: Late teens_

 _ **Appearance**_ _: pink hair, blue eyes, fair skin_

 _ **Means of Recruitment**_ _: Subject 626 voluntarily entered Academy grounds during the Rifting Celebrations in Academia as a minor member of Valhalla's delegation on NR 4/9/3. She was apprehended in a restricted area by PSICOM forces and transported to Sanctum Lab_ Wythnol _on NR 4/9/4. Valhalla's ambassador, Snow Villiers, approached Director Zaidelle's staff and inquired into Subject 626's whereabouts. He was suspicious that Subject 626 would wander off without a word. He could not refute her tendency to wander into historically significant areas on her own, nor could he refute that she was fascinated by Gran Pulse history, the plethora of historically significant sites in Academia's immediate environs, or the inherent dangers of wandering off alone despite Academia's security measures. Queen Etro sent her Champion, Lightning Farron, and the Guardian, Caius Ballad, to Academia in an effort to aid search and rescue efforts on NR 4/9/12. They returned to Valhalla on NR 4/11/16. Subject 626 has since been declared 'Missing.' In a deviation from standard protocols, Subject 626's testing commenced on NR 4/12/2, nearly three months after her arrival at SL_ Wythnol _, because of the sensitive nature of the Champion's and Guardian's presence in Academia._

 _ **Preliminary Testing Results**_ _: The subject has been tested with all known Elementa affiliations to determine strength and versatility in each. Strength is the primary variable while versatility is secondary. Water is the subject's primary element. Her strength is the highest on record with this element. She possesses maximum versatility. The subject's weakest element is Holy. Strength is low with negligible versatility. Subject ranks in other elements as follows: Fire-high/high, Dark-high/moderate, Lightning-high/moderate, Earth-moderate/moderate, Air-low/low, Ice-low/low._

 _..._

 _ **NR 5/2/1**_ _: Subject 626 remains completely depleted of power. Her magical reservoir does not register on any equipment, experimental or otherwise, created to detect an Elementa's power, strength, or versatility. The aquifer cleansing and replenishment completed on 4/13/27 was a success with a possible added benefit: Successful infusion of an Elementa's elemental affiliation and abilities into a human. While Primarch Nabaat and Director Zaidelle are displeased with the loss of Subject 626's abilities, they are both intrigued by the possibilities at the creation of Subject H1. Unfortunately, Subject H1 is a child and the involved parent is less than willing to grant the Academy, Sanctum, or PSICOM access to him. The other parent is deceased. Contingency plans are being assessed._

 _Subject 626 will be held for monitoring until such time as her abilities return or her death. Her status in Valhalla, which was unknown at the time of capture, makes her release untenable due to the impracticality of plausible deniability on the part of the Sanctum and the Academy._

Hope's eyes popped wide at the former Director's, his former assistant's, duplicity. _What?! This was immediately following Alyssa's induction as Director of the Academy! She_ _ **knew**_ _about this? And she included a_ _child_ _in this... this..._ _ **abomination**_ _?! Light was involved. How? Just investigating? Or something more?_ Bracing himself for what awaited him in the following pages, Director Estheim turned to the next page marked 'Subject H1.'

 _ **997 AF, Nabaat Reign - 5th year/1st month/2nd day, Jihl Nabaat - Lead Scientist, Alyssa Zaidelle - Academy Liaison**_

 _ **Project**_ **Infusion** _ **, Sanctum Laboratory**_ **Wythnol**

 _ **Test Subject**_ _: H1_

 _ **Race**_ _: Human_

 _ **Primary Element Affiliation**_ _: Water_

 _ **Gender**_ _: Male_

 _ **Height**_ _: 3'8"_

 _ **Weight**_ _: 42 lbs._

 _ **Age**_ _: 6 yrs, 3 mths, 4 dys_

 _ **Appearance**_ _: brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin_

 _ **Means of Recruitment**_ _: Subject H1 was an unforeseen result of Subject 626's cleansing and replenishing of Academia's largest aquifer on NR 4/13/27 after PSICOM and Sanctum weapons experiments depleted and polluted the underground body of water. Subject H1 accidentally wandered into the cordoned off area nearest the Grand Avenue facilities entrance and was exposed to Subject 626's most powerful magics. Shortly thereafter, Subject H1 began exhibiting magical ability. His father was amenable to testing initially. Once Subject H1's potential was ascertained, his father rebuffed the request by PSICOM and the Academy for further testing. Current law does not allow for detention of a minor contrary to parental consent unless a crime has been committed. After being removed from the testing facility by his father, Subject H1's whereabouts are currently unknown._

 _ **Preliminary Testing Results**_ _: The subject has been tested with all known Elementa affiliations to determine strength and versatility in each. Strength is the primary variable while versatility is secondary. Water is the subject's primary element. His strength is moderate with low versatility. The subject's weakest element is Dark. Strength is negligible with negligible versatility. Subject ranks in other elements as follows: Lightning-moderate/negligible, Holy-low/moderate, Fire-low/low, Air-low/low, Earth-negligible/low, Ice-negligible/low. These are expected to change as Subject H1 matures and learns to harness his abilities._

...

 _ **NR 5/1/22**_ _: Without further testing Subject H1's potential is unclear, and the method by which Subject 626's abilities transferred cannot be ascertained. It is unknown if a transfer of abilities between Elementa and Humans can be completed reliably or into a human adult._

 _Subject H1's parent has refused further testing. Citing the child's health and education, Subject H1's parent has removed him from PSICOM, Sanctum, and Academy control. Their current whereabouts are unknown. One possible lead ends with the Cavalry and a Captain Rygdea. Two options to resolve this issue are currently being debated: An infiltration team meant to apprehend Subject H1 while neutralizing all other interested parties or a means of distant surveillance to monitor Subject H1's development with retrieval as an option at a later date should it prove necessary or desirable._

 _They're targeting everyone they deem a threat to their experiments or whom they wish to make subjects in their experiments._ Hope felt his expression harden with anger. "No wonder the Sanctum butted their noses into Academy internal politics. If Nabaat could gain the support of Gran Pulse's ruling body, there would be no power on Pulse to stop her." For the first time since he'd found out Alyssa had been made Director instead of him despite his position as Director of Team Alpha at the time, Hope felt anger and betrayal wash through him. A deep, shuddering breath allowed him to think a bit more clearly. _I need to calm down. Alyssa isn't here now; I am. How can I fix this?_ He read further into the Academy's misdeeds under former Director Zaidelle. "I might as well know everything I need to apologize for and make right... If I can make it right at all."

 _ **Memo 537: Status Update - NR 4/10/28 meeting**_

 _ **Date: 996 AF, Nabaat Reign - 4th year/12th month/8th day,**_

 _ **To: Jihl Nabaat - PSICOM Lead Scientist and Sanctum Primarch, Yaag Rosch - PSICOM Military Director, Alyssa Zaidelle - Academy Director**_

 _ **RE: Project**_ **Acquisition** _ **, PSICOM Unit**_ **Tag 'n' Bag**

 _Good day Primarch Nabaat, Director Rosch, and Director Zaidelle. Per the initial assessment of needs, means, and targets, the following Elementa have been selected for recruitment. Please refer to Code AlphaOmega for transcribing purposes._

 _ **Targets**_ _: VC:LF, VD:SV, G:CB, G:OYF, S:ODV, P:PNY_

 _ **Analysis**_ _: Our preliminary review of these Elementa's known abilities, Pulsian law, and Valhallan diplomatic protocols has determined that targets ODV and PNY will be the easiest to acquire. Their duties require they be available to any and all visitors. Some circumstances even require ODV and PNY to be alone with the supplicant requesting their aid. PSICOM forces can use this quirk of Valhallan culture to actively recruit them._

 _ODV's and PNY's recruitment will trigger a response from CB and OYF. The Academy's ambassador will have to move quickly to avoid an immediate escalation of current tensions due to the success of Projects_ Extraction, Utilitarian, _and_ Infusion _. Allies within the diplomatic corps can use this opportunity to lure CB and OYF to Cocoon's Pillar for apprehension by PSICOM forces before either go rogue. Our analysis shows that the G's loyalty to the Valhallan crown is tenuous at best if their charges' safety is believed to be compromised. This is particularly true of CB. A conservative timeline for CB's and OYF's likely responses shows their recruitment must be successfully completed within 78 hours of ODV's and PNY's capture._

 _VC:LF and VD:SV will require a more subtle and cautious approach. Subject 626 is intimately tied to both. It is recommended that this connection be leveraged individually to draw first SV then LF into a position where their capture is a foregone conclusion. LF did not become the Chosen of Etro for any reason less than her prowess on the battlefield and shrewdness in the political arena. SV is no less formidable._

 _It is strongly recommended that PSICOM forces avoid a direct confrontation with G:CB, G:OYF, VC:LF, and VD:SV._

 _ **Known Elemental Affiliations**_ _: Strength is the primary variable while versatility is secondary. Findings are preliminary in nature and may change upon testing. Research was conducted via historical and public records review, direct observation of subjects in combat and noncombat settings, review of digital recordings, and interviews with those intimately familiar with the subjects and their capabilities._

 **VC:LF** _\- Lightning, maximum/high; Dark, high/high; Water, moderate/moderate; Fire, moderate/moderate; Holy, moderate/low; Ice, low/moderate; Air, low/low; Earth, low/negligible._

 **VD:SV** _\- Ice, maximum/high; Dark, high/high; Earth, moderate/high; Water, moderate/moderate; Holy, low/low; Air, low/negligible; Lightning, negligible/negligible; Fire, negligible/negligible_

 **G:OYF** _\- Dark, maximum/high; Air, high/low; Water, high/low; Fire, moderate/low; Ice, moderate/low; Lightning, moderate/low; Earth, moderate/low; Holy, low/low_

 **S:OVD** _\- Earth, maximum/high; Dark, high/high; Holy, high/high; Fire, high/moderate; Ice, high/moderate; Lightning, moderate/moderate; Water, moderate/moderate; Air, moderate/moderate_

 _ *****_ **G:CB** _\- Dark, high/maximum; Fire, high/high; Holy, high/moderate; Lightning, moderate/low; Earth, low/moderate; Air, low/moderate; Ice, low/negligible; Water, low/negligible_

 _ *****_ **P:PNY** _\- Water, high/moderate; Air, moderate/high; Dark, moderate/moderate; Holy, moderate/moderate; Earth, low/low; Lightning, negligible/negligible; Ice, negligible/negligible; Fire, negligible/negligible_

 _ *****_ _These Elementa appear to possess affiliations with elements heretofore unidentified. Recruitment and testing are needed to ascertain what those affiliations are. The secondary goal is to assess other Elementa in the_ Extraction _,_ Utilitiarian _,_ Infusion _, and_ Acquisition _Projects on these affiliations._

"What do all of these codes mean?" Hope shuffled through the few unread papers remaining. _Ah! Here we go...Code AlphaOmega._ Silver head bent over the small print on the paper as jade eyes scanned the sheet for the information he needed to finish piecing the puzzle together. "Right. Before the colon the letters represent political affiliation or social position. After the colon the letters are individual's initials." Hope shook his head slightly. "Not particularly original." His chuckle was less amused and more disparaging at PSICOM's encrypting technique. _C is Champion. D is Diplomat. G is Guardian. P is Prophet/ess. S is Speaker. V is Valhalla. Let's read the next memo and see what I can glean there._

 _ **Memo 564: Status Update - Project Acquisition**_

 _ **Date: 997 AF, Nabaat Reign - 5th year/7th month/1st day,**_

 _ **To: Jihl Nabaat - PSICOM Lead Scientist and Sanctum Primarch, Yaag Rosch - PSICOM Military Director, Alyssa Zaidelle - Academy Director**_

 _ **RE: Project**_ **Acquisition** _ **, PSICOM Unit**_ **Tag 'n' Bag**

 _Good day Primarch Nabaat, Director Rosch, and Director Zaidelle. Per your direction a review of Project Acquisition and its chances for success was conducted from 5/4/26-5/6/14._

 _ **Findings**_ _: Due to the eruption of hostilities between Gran Pulse and Valhalla, it has been determined that the most recent draft of Project_ Acquisition _be scrapped._

 _ **Recommendation**_ _: The project should be revisited once a pattern of attack for Valhallan forces under the command of VC:LF, G:CB, and G:OYF has been determined. Once a plausible means of recruitment can be fleshed out with that information, Project_ Acquisition _can be restarted._

Hope took a data pad from the top drawer of his new desk. Quickly booting it up, he reviewed all the information he had in front of him on the code. "Ok. If V is Valhalla, and D is Diplomat, that should indicate a member of the Valhallan Diplomatic Corps." The young man quickly tapped into the Academy's database on known Valhallan personnel having direct contact with the Academy's Diplomatic Corps. "Hmmm." He scrolled down to the 'S' section. "Sabine... No, her name's Bellamy. Serge... No, his name's Nadon. Snow... That's it! Snow Villiers."

Hope entered search parameters for 'Valhalla, Guardian, Champion' into the data pad. He then selected 'Current Valhalla Guardians.' Quickly scanning the list a name caught his attention. "Caius. Ballad." An incredulous huff escaped him once he realized there wasn't another Guardian on the entire list with the initials CB. "They were targeting Caius Ballad for 'recruitment?' That would've succeeded...Not." He took another breath before searching for the person with OYF initials. "Oerba Yun Fang. A dragoon. Summons a Bahamut like Caius...Sort of. Commands her own unit similar to the Cavalry under the command of Champion Lightning Farron."

With hands only slightly shaky, the young Director went back to his search results and selected 'Current Valhalla Champions.' _Please don't be the only one. Please._ His eyes squeezed tight as the screen finished loading. He forced himself to look again just to be sure. All entries on the list read 'deceased' except one—Champion of Valhalla, Chosen of Etro, Lightning Farron.

"They were going after Lightning. And she's the only Champion left. The only one capable of commanding Etro's Guardians. The only one left on Gran Pulse able to end the war." Hope placed his head in his hands and his elbows on his desk. He then concentrated on calming his breathing and heart rate. _Not Lightning._ _ **Never**_ _Lightning._ Eyes resembling shards of green glass more than the soft green of a sunlit sea glared into the desk. "I'll destroy them first."

Memories from a more innocent time rolled over him...

 _ **Flashback: 990 AF, Crescent Beach, New Palumpolum**_

He stood watching the sunset as the surf rippled over his bare feet. Hope often came down to the beach from his family's high rise along the cliffs. It provided him a peaceful, solitary place to just be so long as he came at dawn or dusk. However, tonight he wasn't alone. His mother's voice still echoed in his ears, 'Don't be out too late, Hope. We leave for New Bodhum in the morning.'

 _Like I care. I bet dad won't be able to make it regardless of his promises._ Hope tensed in response to his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he tried to release his frustration along with his breath. As he calmed down he felt increasingly guilty. _If the trip will make Mom happy, I need to try to enjoy it, too._

"It's just not fair." Hope dug at a half-buried shell with his toes. "Why can't it just be us? Dad's too busy with the Sanctum. All. The. Time." The shell finally came loose from the wet sand and lodged itself just under his toenail. "OW!" The fourteen year old quickly sat where he was; an incoming wave ruined his clothes in the process. Holding his foot and biting back tears he contemplated the many ways in which the Universe was against him. He was unceremoniously pulled from his sulking by a mischievous voice from behind him.

"What'd you do that for?" Hope's head snapped around to glare at the intruder. He was met with a pink haired, blue eyed girl about his age, give or take a couple of years, dressed in black. She was standing closer to him than he expected. His green eyes widened in surprise.

 _Where'd she come from?_ He tried to cover his discomfort as she circled around to stand between him and the last of the fading light. "What do you care?"

"Never said I did. I just thought Pulsians were more graceful than that." She spun to face him. "Or are you special?"

Hope felt his face flush and a scowl settle into place. He continued to glare at the intrusive girl. Trying to copy her careless attitude, he snapped back, "Never said I was." He pulled his foot closer so he could see how far the shell went before it got stuck. The boy wanted nothing more than for her to disappear, or have the beach open up and swallow him whole. _Really, either will do._

"Never said you were what? Graceful? Or special?" Hope found himself glaring at her again. For her part, she simply covered her mouth as she laughed at him, eyes dancing. He shook his head and turned his attention back to his toe. The girl approached him again and crouched down to look for herself. "Hey, what'd you do there?" As she got a decent look at the problem, she continued in a softer tone, "That's not good." Hope pulled his foot away as she reached for it.

"Of course it's not good! The shell's stuck under my toenail, and it hurts like crazy." He batted her hands away as she reached for his foot again. "Just leave it! I need to take the shell out so I can get home."

"So why don't you let me help you instead of being a big baby?" She reached out, grabbed his ankle, and pulled his foot toward her faster than he could blink.

"Hey!" Hope pulled against her hold with no success. "Let me go!"

The girl gave him a hard look. "No. Now be still." Her presence was suddenly so commanding and unlike the impishness she'd displayed before, Hope found himself obeying her. As he settled down, her grasp gentled. The girl maneuvered his foot into her lap to stabilize it. She poked and prodded at the shell and his toe. With every hiss or flinch of pain, the girl's expression became more troubled.

Finally she finished her inspection. "Well, it's not as bad as it could be." She looked up at him. "But there's no way you should walk on that foot right now, shell or no shell."

"So, what? I should sit here all night and wait to be rescued tomorrow while my Mom worries herself sick?" Hope folded his arms across his chest and stared hard at her. "Not going to happen."

Snorting a laugh, the girl smiled at him again. "Did I say you had to play the princess and wait for a knight in shining armor?"

"I am NOT a princess!" Her entire face lit up as she laughed at his indignant expression. Hope shook away the corresponding fuzziness that invaded his mind at the sudden change in her demeanor. _This is ridiculous. She's a_ _ **brat**_ _._

"Never said you were." She examined their surroundings carefully. Then she contemplated him seriously for several more moments. Apparently coming to a decision, she spoke again. "Name's Lumina, by the way. Thought you should know."

Startled, he stuttered, "O-okay. I'm Hope." He paused as his brows crinkled in confusion. "Why did you think I should know?"

Lumina's gaze turned so bland her biting tone caught him by surprise. "Because it's polite to introduce yourself to people you just met."

Sheepishly, he said, "Oh. Right."

"And because..." With that little warning, Lumina tightened her hold on Hope's foot to keep him still and pulled the shell from beneath his toenail.

"OW! Lumina!" The silver haired boy tried to pull his foot away again to no avail. "Let me go!"

"I'm not done yet." With another furtive scan of their surroundings, Lumina placed her free hand over Hope's foot. A green glow surrounded her hand and flowed into him for a few seconds. When she was done, she released him. Looking at him challengingly and with a smug grin on her face she continued what she'd been saying, "...You should know the names of those who help you."

Hope looked from his companion to his foot and back again. The pain was gone, and there wasn't any blood or anything indicating his injury. There wasn't even the ghostly sensation of the shell embedded beneath his toenail. _She's an_ _ **Elementa**_ _? And she healed me_ _?_ He stuttered a few times before he could push the words he wanted to say more than anything through his lips. "Umm. Thank you. Really." Hope noticed the faint blush on her cheeks as the sun finally set beneath the waves.

She shrugged carelessly as she looked away. "No problem." Lumina stood abruptly and dusted herself off. "You can go now if you like. Your toe's fine."

As she turned to walk away, Hope impulsively reached out and grasped her hand. She spun to face him, eyes widening in shock. Her side ponytail flicked him on the nose as he leaned back not-quite out of range. Still holding her hand, Hope asked, "Will you be in New Palumpolum long?"

Lumina's eyes widened further before she gathered herself to answer. "Ummm. I don't know. I kind of come and go whenever."

"Oh." Hope looked bashfully over her shoulder and out to sea. He released her hand embarrassed that the action was so difficult. He felt something thin and hard hit him on his forehead. "Hey!" Another glare pulled his brows together as his attention shifted back to the girl before him. "What was that for?"

She sassily responded, "Oh. Nothing. Just thought I'd bring you back to this world from wherever your mind wandered off to."

"My mind didn't wander. I was thinking."

"Oh, yeah. About what?"

That innocent question brought Hope up short. He **had** been thinking about how nice it would be to spend time with someone who treated him like he was normal. His dad's connections to the Sanctum and his own ambition to join the Academy placed the family in an unusual sort of limbo. Most of the neighborhood kids avoided him or teased him for being associated with either organization depending on their families' own affiliation. This left him without many friends. _Might as well ask. Won't hurt, right?_

Hope faced her fully. "I'd really like to hang out with you again." He offered a shy smile as he wriggled his toes in the sand. "This time without the need for first aid."

Her brows arched under her bangs. Flustered she looked down and brushed at her skirt again. "Ummm. Yeah. Sure." She looked back toward him. "When?" A teasing smile quirked her lips up at an odd angle. "You know, so I know when to return here."

Hope's smile grew. "Well. I'm going on a family vacation for a few days." He quickly tabulated the time in his head. "Say, a week from now? In the morning this time, though."

"Yep. Don't keep me waiting." With that parting shot, she sashayed down the wet strand and faded into the darkness.

 _ **Nine Days Later, Crescent Beach, New Palumpolum...**_

Hope limped down to the beach long before the sun was due to rise. He found an alcove of rocks and beach grass to place between himself and the cityscape behind him. He settled on to the sand so he also had cover from anyone on the main beach. He pulled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs. Tears streamed down his cheeks. _Mom. Why? It's not fair..._

Thickly he murmured the words he wished his father would say. "I'm s-s-soo s-sorry. I'm s-s-sorry, M-mom." Sobbing, the boy lost himself to memories of New Bodhum and the terrorist attack that cost his mother her life.

The authorities, Guardians of Valhalla and Sanctum PSICOM together, pieced together what happened. Someone sabotaged the fireworks, and several dropped down amongst the crowds instead of arching up into the sky. Nora Estheim pushed Hope to the ground and threw herself on top of him. While still injured from the blast, his mother's actions saved the fourteen year old's life. Nora, however, wasn't so lucky. Along with many others, she died at the scene.

All Hope could remember was watching the display, the smell of gunpowder and people, screams, the ground beneath him, the explosion, his mother's heavy weight, and embers and ash scattering everywhere.

Hope had no idea how long he'd been sitting there when he felt a gentle, petite hand brush through his hair. The sky was lightening behind him when it was dark before although the sun hadn't quite risen yet. _Probably been a couple of hours, then._

"You ok?" Lumina's concerned expression swam into focus as he lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. Hope wiped the residual tears from his eyes and cheeks.

Turning sullen at the question, he muttered, "Do I **look** ok?"

Lumina's eyes flashed with emotion before she adopted her typical devil-may-care attitude. "Don't know. Last time I saw you, you were yelling about a shell in your toe. Now you're hurt again, and crying. Seems to be normal for you." She came around and sat beside him. They watched the horizon where the sea met the sky as the day moved closer to sunrise in silence.

At first, indignant anger rose under the adolescent's skin, making him feel hot. As he calmed, though, Hope felt the guilt creep in from the contrast between his words and her actions. _She doesn't know what happened._ He glanced sidelong at the girl beside him. _She could've just left me to my misery, and she didn't. Do I really want her to go? I've been holed up in the house for the last two days, and before that it was the hospital._ He decided to get his mind off his mother by focusing on his companion.

"Hey, Lumina." Hope looked sincerely at her.

"Hmmm?" Lumina didn't bother to look in his direction. She remained focused on the horizon.

 _How can I apologize if she won't look at me?_ An idea struck Hope. Remembering her instantaneous attention when he grabbed her hand before, he reached out and gently took her hand in his.

As he surmised, the pink haired girl whipped her head around and gazed at him with something akin to shock. Before she could say anything, Hope spoke first. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He smiled a little when she blinked at him. "I'm glad you're here."

Coming to herself at the sight of his smile, Lumina shrugged his apology aside. "Don't worry about it." The girl's mischievous side coming to the fore, she continued, "Besides, there's something else you should apologize for more."

Hope let go of her hand. "What's that?" He placed his cheek on his arms which were resting on his upraised knees. Looking at her while she maintained her silence and a mysterious half-smile that piqued his curiosity, her parting words from their first meeting occurred to him, 'Don't keep me waiting...'. _She can't mean that! I mean, I was in the hospital. She couldn't possibly hold that against me._

"You said you wouldn't need any healing. And here you are...," aqua blue eyes stared directly into jade green eyes, "...broken and bandaged again." Her smile widened into a cocky grin. "Maybe you **do** need a knight in shining armor to watch over you..." Pausing for a moment, her smile took on a devilish edge. She let one word break the silence. "Princess."

Hope decided right then and there he **never** wanted to hear that word from her in relation to himself ever again. The boy buried his face in his arms. "I am NOT a princess!" His only answer was her tinkling laughter.

 ** _End Flashback_**

Hope shook off the not-quite melancholy memories. Standing, he approached the east-facing wall and tapped the far left panel. An aerial image of New Town appeared taking up three fourths of the wall. He could see Valhalla's forces streaming through the streets towards the Central Bridge area. His own security forces were gathered on the western-most plaza. Private citizens were being pulled from their homes and businesses and taken to the southwestern plaza. The shimmering glow of what the Elementa called Chaos was washing over the buildings. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary yet.

A flash of gleaming steel and white near Academia's security forces caught Hope's eye. He zoomed the image to that spot. An incredulous snort escaped him when he recognized her - Lightning. A wry grin spread across his face. _Knight in shining armor, huh. Who knew?_ He spoke aloud as he brushed his fingers across her image, "I'm still not a princess."

Hope's thoughts drifted back to the memories of his worst and best summer thirteen years ago. Lumina, now known as Lightning, had gotten him through the worst of the aftermath of his mother's death. _It's crazy. All we did was sit on the beach silently most of the time._ Her presence, even her outrageousness, comforted him on a fundamental level. _Can we fix this now? Together?_ He had no answer; everything rested with her.

Hope returned to his desk. He gathered the papers and placed them back in the portfolio in date order. He then settled in to wait. _Should be any time now._ Another perusal of the image on the eastern wall showed a man dressed in a green pilot's uniform being escorted to Lightning by a tall woman in blue. _Must be Mr. Katzroy, the pilot Rygdea told me about. And she must be the Oerba Yun Fang from the datalog and reports._

Hope held his breath; how Valhalla's Champion received the Academy's new emissary could kill any chance of peace. _They were both targeted by Nabaat and Alyssa. If they_ _ **know**_ _that..._ He exhaled softly as he saw the woman in plate mail listening to the man. Lightning issued orders to a large man with flaming red hair while the woman in blue gave orders to a smaller woman with black hair wielding the largest gun he'd seen yet. Then Valhalla's Champion and the woman in blue turned and followed Sazh.

Another smile appeared. _They're coming. We can do this._

The wait was agonizing. After arranging three seats close together in his office, Hope alternately paced, sat at his desk and fiddled with the portfolio, scanned the datapad, and turned the wall screen on and off. The only useful bit of his anxious behavior was that he saw Caius' forces were still approaching but not yet within Academia's borders. He'd reached to turn the image off when he heard a knock.

Video wall forgotten, Hope spun to face the door as Rygdea opened it to reveal himself, Mr. Katzroy, Lightning, and the presumed Oerba Yun Fang. He felt dazzled at Lightning's sudden appearance despite expecting her, and it had little to do with the blinding white half-skirt made of feathers or the gleaming armor. Rygdea's voice snapped him out of his daze.

"Per your request, Director Estheim. Champion Lightning Farron, Chosen of Etro, and Oerba Yun Fang, Guardian of Valhalla's Speaker, have agreed to meet with you to discuss the terms of an armistice."

The woman in blue glared at the military escort. "Just Fang. Adding Oerba Yun is like me calling you Academia Cavalry Rygdea."

Rygdea simply rolled his eyes and shot her a wink and a grin. "Whatever you say." He then drawled, "Fang." Lightning placed a restraining hand on her second-in-command without taking her eyes from Hope.

Despite feeling flustered at Lightning's intense stare, the young Director still managed to gather his composure. He adopted a cool façade mimicking his mentor's initial professionalism. "Thank you, Captain. Let me know if the situation on our northern border changes." Rygdea responded with a nod and left. Hope interrupted Sazh's steps toward the door. "Mr. Katzroy, please stay."

Sazh stopped where he was. "You sure 'bout that, Director? I have nothing to contribute to peace talks beyond what I've done."

Hope was insistent. "Yes, Mr. Katzroy. Please, everyone take a seat." He gestured to the seats he'd arranged during his nervous pacing.

"Call me Sazh, then." Sazh, Lightning, and Fang each sat in the chairs situated around the desk.

 _Might as well tell them all at the same time._ Hope pulled his chair from behind the desk and grabbed the portfolio. _The question is 'How?'._

Lightning's voice broke the silence after Hope settled into his seat. "Director." Silvered head snapped up; green eyes locked with blue. The shadow of a smirk with a familiar mischievous edge pulled at the Champion's lips before disappearing as if it had never been. "Why did you seek us out?"

 _Right._ Hope settled into his chair. "I'm sure Sazh told you we want to end this war." Nods all around. "We'd also like to ally with you against Caius Ballad until he is defeated or a peace agreement can be negotiated." Fang snorted derisively; Lightning waved her budding commentary away. Hope continued, "He's attacked Gran Pulse as frequently as Valhalla." More nods.

Clapping a hand on Sazh's shoulder, much to the older man's surprise, Fang stated, "That doesn't tell us why you sent him to us." She raised an elegantly arched brow in query. "I'd expect a member of your diplomatic corps, that annoying excuse for military, or you."

 _Here goes nothing._ Taking a deep breath, Hope met Lightning's gaze and held it. "I don't know how much you know about the Academy's internal workings. Director Zaidelle disappeared several days ago. In the interim, many things have happened. The Sanctum attempted a coup that Rygdea and his Cavalry put an end to rather...definitively. Yesterday, the Academy's Advisory Council voted to make me Director. I was instated this morning."

"Rygdea and I are committed to brokering a peace agreement between human and Elementa. Champion Farron, you are the only Elementa on Pulse with the authority to speak on your Queen's behalf. Our people lived side by side for centuries after the rifts between realms appeared." Here, Hope met the others' gazes as well. "There's no reason why we can't live that way again. Before we can do that though, trust needs to be rebuilt between the Academy and Valhalla."

Lightning's narrowed eyes passed over him like a knife. "I think that goes without saying. How do you propose to do that?"

Hope's gaze met hers looking for encouragement, a hint of their former connection, anything to get him through what came next. Unfortunately, he didn't find it. Lightning's expression was aloof, almost cold. _No, she's steeling herself for something. Does she know?_

Taking another fortifying breath, he prepared for the fallout of what he needed to say. "Trust is built on honesty. You three especially need to know what I found on my desk the first time I stepped into this office several hours ago." Hope passed the reports on Subject H1, Subject 626, and Subjects Alpha and Zeta to Sazh, Lightning, and Fang respectively. As they read, he pulled out the two memos he'd found for later perusal. _If this meeting lasts that long._

Hope observed the other members of this impromptu peace council. Sazh was staring into space after reading the report Hope deduced was about his son, Dajh. _It makes sense - the only human to manifest magic without becoming l'Cie,_ _ **and**_ _it was water magic._ Fang appeared ready to shred everything in her path, if not with her bare hands then definitely with the spear leaning against the back of her chair. Most of his attention stayed on Etro's Chosen Champion. Lightning stiffened throughout her reading. He noticed a slight tremor in her hands before she placed the report in her lap and smoothed it. _I_ _ **really**_ _hope I'm wrong about who Subject 626 is._

Unsurprisingly, Fang was the first to speak. Standing swiftly, the intimidating woman stepped threateningly toward Hope. "You expect us to believe the Academy is interested in peace after reading **this**?!" Lightning reached up to grasp Fang's arm and directed the other woman to sit. The Guardian begrudgingly did as told. "You can't be serious, Light. These Pulsians obviously can't be trusted!" Lightning cut her hand through the air. Fang hissed a sigh followed by a testy "Fine!"

Hope interceded with as much sincerity as he could muster given he completely understood, even shared, their anger and disgust. "I **do** expect you to believe me when I say we want peace." Hope spat the next sentences out as if they left a foul film in his mouth. " **Look** at the dates on those reports. **Look** under which jurisdiction those **experiments** were sanctioned and completed." He held his hand out to Fang and Lightning. "If I was more concerned about the Academy's reputation than forging peace between us, why would I show you these reports?"

Fang snarled back, "To save your hide. Your side's losing, kiddo."

"Fang! That's enough." Lightning breathed deeply then passed the report back to Hope. Eyes shimmering with tears she refused to shed, she looked up at him. "What else do you have to show us, Director?"

 _Damn! I hate it when I'm right. 626_ _ **is**_ _Serah._ Hope reluctantly passed the memos to Lightning. "They were planning on dismantling the entirety of Valhalla's government and decimate the Elementa people to augment humans."

Fang read the first memo over Lightning's shoulder. Eyes widening, she clenched her spear and thrust it toward Hope before her superior could stop her. "They're targeting my 'Nille!"

Hope jerked away from the spear aimed at his chest hard enough to knock his chair over. Holding his hands in front of his chest in a non-aggressive gesture, he sputtered the promise he'd made to himself and Lightning when he first saw the Sanctum's reports. " **Look** at the dates, will you?! I didn't do this, and I'll stop it!"

Sazh stepped between Academia's leader and the infuriated Elementa. "Now, now, missy. Those dates don't match up to him being responsible." He also held his hands up when she shifted her spear point from the silver haired man on the floor to the older man before her.

"Fang!" An intricately detailed gunblade flashed into existence against the dragoon's spear. "I said. That. Is. Enough!" Lightning's stoic expression was at odds with the understanding hand she placed on her second's shoulder. "Vanille is home, safe and sound."

Fang relaxed enough to loosen her white-knuckled grip on her spear and stand down. Lightning turned to Hope on the floor. "We'll get to the bottom of this. And we'll bring everyone home." She extended her hand to help him.

Hope accepted her aid and allowed her to pull him up. "Exactly." He refused to release her hand, shocked a little bit that he was actually taller than her. _It has been thirteen years since I last saw her._ Lightning gazed at him wide eyed when he didn't let go of her right away; the expression was just as he remembered. He started to crack a smile, and he wanted to laugh when her soft blue gaze narrowed in warning. He promptly let go to save their combined dignities: hers from having her soldier persona compromised by innocent hand-holding and his from being knocked to the floor—again.

Turning to the others, he continued more seriously, "The only way I can find, charge, and prosecute members of the Academy, Sanctum allies, and fugitives of these activities or the coup is if I'm not fighting Valhalla and Caius." He locked gazes with Fang then with Lightning. Lingering on the calming aqua blue, he said, "Please. Help me make things right."

Lightning regarded him for several moments. Smirking with more than a hint of Lumina coming through, she shrugged. "In need of a knight in shining armor," she watched Hope's eye widen impossibly large before she finished with, "Director?"

"I'm NOT...," Hope came to an abrupt stop once the word 'Director' registered. He coughed, suddenly uncomfortable with what he almost said. "Ummm. Right. We're agreed. We'll work together to defeat Caius then."

Another almost-smile graced Lightning's features. "I said so, didn't I?"

Hope nodded. "Right."

Fang and Sazh exchanged confused looks before turning to their leaders.

Fang muttered to the older man, "Did I miss something here?"

Sazh simply shook his head. "You and me both."

Lightning sauntered over to the video wall. "How do we move the view so we can see where Caius is?"

Hope stepped up behind her and reached over her shoulder. He tried to ignore the scent of roses and sunshine that wafted gently from her. He overlooked her stiffening posture at his closeness with a bit more success. The young scientist utterly failed to quash the desire to step closer to her than was absolutely necessary.

Hope tapped an icon in the upper right of the screen. A full map of Academia came into view. Tapping the northern border behind Academy HQ, he explained the system. "Here. This will shift the location." He then pinched his thumb and forefinger together, placed them on the wall, and spread them in a smooth motion. "You can zoom in like this." He then stepped away. "You can zoom out with the opposite gesture. Placing your finger, hand, etc. on the wall and dragging in any direction will shift the video in that direction."

Fang stepped up beside her general who seemed a bit dazed. Sly humor glinted in her eyes promising an interesting conversation with the other woman later. The Guardian noticed dark purple among the normally brightly clothed citizens of Academia. She reached out to zoom the image in. "Looks like he's right on your doorstep, Director." She looked drolly at the man on the other side of Lightning. "What're we gonna do about it?"

Lightning answered grimly, "Give him the fight he's searching for." She turned sharply on her heel and sauntered out.

Hope watched her, baffled, before hurrying after her. "What do you mean 'fight'? Can't we negotiate with him?" The other two caught up quickly.

Fang snorted. "Caius Ballad doesn't know the meaning of the words 'compromise' or 'surrender'. You bust his ass or he feeds you yours."

Sazh muttered in disgust, "What a lovely thought."

"Not particularly." Hope was just close enough to hear Lightning's murmur.

Hope couldn't understand Caius' position. "So he won't ally with us to catch the people who are **really** responsible for this mess?" Lightning and Fang shook their heads. He continued sarcastically, "Great." Gaze shifting to Etro's Champion, he asked the question burning to get out, "You **can** beat him, right?"

Lightning answered without breaking stride or looking his way. "Caius and Fang trained me. I know all their moves, routines, and weaknesses."

Soft green eyes widened at the corollary to her statement he dared not say aloud. _He knows all those things about you, too._ The thought brought another clenching knot of anxiety to settle around his stomach. They walked out of the main doors onto the Central Bridge.

"Warrior Goddess." The small group came to an abrupt stop at those words. Narrowed lavender eyes cut across the small group. "Why am I not surprised?" The taller man's derisive smirk served as evidence of Caius' complete antipathy for the place and the people before him. Hope felt the former Guardian's gaze pass over him as a physical thing and shuddered. Fang stiffened in affront at the deliberate challenge to her friend and commander; her white-knuckled grasp on her spear testament to the effort behind her restraint. Sazh shrank away a bit while his hands drifted toward the pistols at his sides. Lightning remained unaffected.

"Right." Lightning stepped forward to the forefront of her companions. She called her gunblade, Overture, into being and held it down and to the right in a manner equally prepared for offense or defense. "This ends. Now."

"Indeed." The centuries old warrior pulled his sword, a large threatening thing beautiful in its asymmetry. A sickly blue and violet glow flickered up and down the blade. "Lose yourself in battle." He drew the overly large weapon back then slashed down at his former commander in an overhand strike. "And rejoice!"

Lightning gracefully pirouetted around the strike, white feathers trailing after her. Deflecting the attack away from her comrades with her shield, she responded in kind—a straight jab aimed at Caius' side. He easily twisted out of the way. With a flick of his wrist, the barbed black sword embedded itself into the walkway. A violet and black stream of mana raced toward the younger Elementa tearing gouges in the Central Bridge. She leapt above it.

Blows were exchanged in rapid succession. They all missed or were deflected. Any onlooker could be excused for believing the two combatants were evenly matched. Hope was not among that number. As he watched the battle unfold, he realized Caius Ballad was everything the stories said. Strong in body, mind, and magic with a singular focus, Caius was said to be unbeatable. Legends said his dedication to the Seeress, Paddra Nsu Yeul, was the only reason he hadn't been named Etro's Champion centuries ago; that he had, in effect, turned the position down.

Hope watched the tableau unfold, dumbfounded and inexplicably terrified. Not for himself. Not even for his people and home. His terror was all for Lightning.

He recollected his role when a subordinate ran up to him. Panicked, the lower ranked man yelled, "Director! Everything's coming apart on the outskirts of New Town and between here and the Pillar. What do we do?"

Hope looked at him like the other man had lost his mind. _You seriously need me to tell you..._. He shook the less-than-charitable thoughts away and answered his colleague's question. "Evacuate everyone. Get them into Bhunivelze. If we can launch it before the Chaos converts every physical law we know to nothing, we might have a chance." Nodding the man started off; then he turned back.

"Director Estheim. What about you?"

"Don't worry about me! Get going." Hope's cold command caught the others by surprise. Even Fang looked startled. He gathered his composure, which was reduced to a thin veneer of calm over panic, before continuing. "I'm out here waiting to negotiate peace with Etro's Champion, and she's a **little** busy at the moment." With a sheepish nod, the researcher left.

While the small group was distracted, the two warriors broke away from each other and put some space between them. They were fighting along the second tier of the Bridge area while Hope and the others remained on the lower plaza in front of the Academy. An eruption of Chaos and mana drew their attention again.

Above the roaring winds, Caius' voice called, "Husk of the wandering comet, I summon thee!" He whipped his sword up, pointing it straight into the sky. The resultant shockwave obliterated the upper levels of the surrounding buildings as fireballs rained down from the heavens. Hope and the others raced for a more sheltered location as debris and skyfire rained down.

Just as they made it to shelter, Lightning fell gracefully from above and landed behind them. Frustration laced every word she growled, "Not this again." She exchanged glances with Fang, who nodded. Falling off the side of the walkway, Lightning pulled a pink crystal rose from her breast, let go of it, and, with a slash of Overture, broke it. From the summon icon, a White Bahamut materialized. Swooping under her, they both soared into the sky.

Hope gazed after her with wide eyes. He wasn't aware of stepping forward as Light fell, nor was he aware when Fang grabbed his sleeve to stop him. Once she was out of his sight, he rounded on Fang, eyes frantic, "What the **hell** was that?!"

"Relax, kid. That was an eidolon." Fang smirked at Hope's irked expression. "I'm about 500 years older than you AND Sunshine out there, so don't go all high and mighty on me, yeah." She laughed outright as his face betrayed the shift from upset to astounded. "Elementa don't age the way you Pulsians do." He nodded slowly. She shifted her focus from the Director to the battle still ongoing outside of the precarious spot they'd found. Pink rose petals heralded Odin's arrival above them. "We can talk about it later, but let's survive now." At that moment, an ear-blistering screech was heard, and that suddenly the fireballs ceased falling.

Footsteps echoed through the hollow space. The three companions were still huddled under an overhanging walkway with little space to maneuver. They overheard the taunt Caius flung at his one time student and commander. "Let's not waste time." The cold glow of Chaos reflected off of every nearby surface. "Powers of Chaos bend to my will!"

With that command, the trio watched in disbelief as the debris that had been falling, stopped and actually reversed its movement. Fang muttered under her breath, "I didn't know he could do that."

The cold knot in Hope's stomach tied itself tighter until he was fighting the urge to vomit. "She **can** beat him, right?" Sea green clashed with gray green eyes, demanding the answer neither truly wanted to face. _She said she knew all his tricks, that he'd trained her. If Fang doesn't know all his abilities, how can Light?_ his thoughts kept his stomach churning with anxiety.

A shuddering impact on the walkway above broke the silence below. Lightning's voice rose above the commotion of a large population evacuating a relatively small surface area. "Damn you, Caius Ballad! You want to end everything."

Caius' cold voice, carrying a strange sadness, answered, "Oblivion is the fate of all things." Everything Caius did seemed to be built of mana and Chaos in equal measure, and whatever he was doing this time was no different. Fang paled when his next words reached them. "Cast your shadow over all. Wings of night!"

The Valhallan Guardian reached for her right shoulder; nothing happened. "Damn it, Light."

They watched, unable to tear their gazes away, as a blast of Chaos blew Lightning off the walkway above. Multiple shockwaves pulverized what was left of the surrounding buildings' upper levels. Lightning landed on a nearby outcropping, sheltered in Odin's arms. The eidolon kneeled before her in obeisance then vanished from her side. As the dust cleared, she came face-to-face with Chaos Bahamut in Caius' place.

Hope stood aghast with an equally distressed Fang and Sazh. "What happened to Caius?" Sazh's voice is faint.

"If I'm right, Old Man... "Fang worried her lower lip with her teeth. "I didn't know this was even possible."

With a roar, the dark Bahamut banished the lingering Chaos. He swiped at Etro's Champion. Light easily leapt away.

"Didn't know **what** was possible?" Hope's desire for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and the chance to resume a valued friendship vanished the instant they walked out to find Caius on the plaza above the Academy.

Spinning midair to face her opponent, Light drew her sword across her body for a sideways slash. As she attacked with all her strength, Bahamut stopped her with a claw.

Fang's murmur barely carried to the two men with her. "An incarnate summon."

Chaos and mana glowed bright in the sky.

Hope was incredulous. "Don't those kill the summoner?"

The other claw came from seemingly nowhere, blindsiding the young warrior.

The Guardian's voice took on a darkly bitter edge. "Yeah, which is why I'm shocked Caius did this. He hates to lose."

The Champion's unconscious body arched gracefully through the air. The Director's entire being focused solely on her; everyone and everything else around him faded into nothingness.

Hope watched helplessly as Lightning hit the ground just out of reach. Rushing to her side, her name burst from his lips uncontrollably. "Light!" The Academy Director dropped to his knees beside Valhalla's last Champion and gathered her into his arms. Despite her pallor and the beating Caius had meted out to her in their duel, Lightning's breaths puffed steadily against Hope's neck. "Thank Etro. You're alive." Relief flooded through him leaving him weak and shaky.

"Hmph. Pathetic." With that judgment, Caius deliberately caught Hope's gaze. Purple bore into sea green with threatening intent. "Embrace the terror." Those words spoken to the human who dared put hands on an Elementa Champion, Caius raised his sword, opened its eye, and unleashed Chaos upon Academia. Lightning's vibrant aura, the aura all powerful Elementa carried with them, waned before Hope's eyes as the force washed over them in waves.

"No. LIGHT!" Hope tightened his hold on her as if he could shield her with his body. For the first time since the fireworks display when his mother died, Director Estheim wished. "Please. Don't leave me." Tears gathered and fell as he felt his own strength leech from his body. Through his grief he became aware of a warmth he'd never felt before. A disembodied voice echoed in his head.

 _What would you give to protect her?_

 _Anything._ Hope didn't hesitate with his answer. _Everything._ He pulled away to gaze at her deceptively peaceful features. _Whatever's required._

 _Would you accept the brand of l'Cie if it granted you the power to protect her?_

Again, his answer came on instinct. _In a heartbeat._ He brushed his fingers across her cheek and into her hair then pulled her closer. She'd lost the battle with Caius; Hope would be damned if she lost the war.

 _Then accept my blessing and my brand, Hope Estheim. You are now my l'Cie; Chosen of Etro; Guardian of my Champion._

A searing pain ripped through his left wrist where his glove and jacket sleeve normally overlapped. Images of Lightning helpless and in danger flashed across his vision. In each one he was her shield and her weapon. As the last image flashed before his mind's eye, Hope's world was torn asunder.


	7. Rebirth (Awe)

**A/N** : For HopeRai Week 2015. **Prompt** : Awe

 **Obligatory Disclaimer** : I don't own any part of FFXIII.

 **NOTES** : This AU is slated to become a multi-chapter short story later ( _Hope Renewed_ ). Because of this, there will be some things explained and some things left hanging. This is simply a snapshot from within the broader story I think fits the prompt. Let me know what works and what doesn't, please; all feedback is appreciated.

 **Summary** : A new home. A fresh start. Will her pain ruin this, too? Or will she find her hope again? An undesired move hints at better things to come.

I hope you enjoy _Rebirth_.

* * *

 **Rebirth**

 **Estheim Residence, Palumpolum**

The silver haired boy looked at the pictures his parents and Mr. Katzroy laid before him on their kitchen table. Two girls, pink haired and blue eyed, stared back at him. The smaller one had a melancholy smile as she stared beyond the person holding the camera. The taller glared into the camera as if daring it to capture her image. Arms crossed, the elder sister hovered protectively next to the younger.

"Ummm." Hope fiddled with the yellow wristband tied around his left wrist. Soft green eyes flicked from the calm hazel of his dad, the hopeful jade of his mom, and the pained brown of their guest, then back to his dad again. "They'd be like my sisters?" He shifted his gaze back to the images before him. T _hat would be weird. They're about my age._ He'd known his parents were looking to foster other kids. He'd expected the kids to be younger by at least a few years, though. The two sisters' ages, twelve and fifteen, surprised him almost as much as his parents seeking his opinion on the idea.

"Not exactly." Sazh cradled the photo of the Farron sisters. A grief-stricken sigh escaped. "Fostering isn't adoption, and you're not related by blood that anyone knows of." A slender finger traced the outer edge of the picture. He then set it back down. "I can't take care of them anymore. Not after..." His voice tapered off, constricted by the loss of his wife. "Dajh is all I can handle."

Nora Estheim reached over and rubbed Sazh's shoulder. "It's alright. You've done the best you can for the girls, and you're doing the best you can for them now." Nora's clouded gaze met her husband's. Bartholomew and Sazh knew each other from work. Nora and Hope had met Sazh a few times over the years, but Sazh's wife had never accompanied him on his trips so they'd not known her. Sazh was a strong man, devoted to family to a fault. It ate him up inside to acknowledge he couldn't provide what the two lost girls needed without his wife to help him. Seeing him in such a state distressed Nora to no end.

"It's up to you, Hope." Bartholomew patted Nora's hand on the table. "This is our house and our family. We make this choice together." His steady gaze bored into Hope encouraging the teen to be honest. "Sazh has asked us to take the Farron sisters in. They'd be part of the family in the same way very good friends become family." He smiled a bit at his son. "You're all too old to raise as brother and sisters, anyway, so don't feel too weird about it."

Hope blushed a bit at his dad's comment. _Transparent as always._ He looked at the other pictures spread on the table. One showed Serah, the younger sister, playing in the surf in Bodhum. Another showed the elder sister reading on a park bench, unaware of the camera. _Her name's Lightning. What kind of name is 'Lightning', anyway?_ In another Serah was devouring an ice cream cone and had managed to get some on her nose. A stifled laugh burst forth from the fourteen year old. A fourth depicted Lightning sulking in front of a chocobo during a trip to Nautilus. His smile turned into a frown.

"Hey, Sazh. Why is Lightning always unhappy or oblivious in these pictures?" He looked at the older man waiting for his answer.

"Well. Lightnin' took her parents' deaths pretty hard, and she takes her responsibility to her sister seriously." Sazh glanced away toward Hope's parents. Hope's natural curiosity was further piqued when his parents nodded encouragement before Sazh continued. "She doesn't like her picture being taken. She says it's too childish."

Hope was surprised. "But, she's fifteen, right? She's only a year older than me." A smile flitted across the man's lips then vanished as he answered Hope's question.

"You have to understand Soldier Girl." The Estheims looked at him in confusion. "I call Lightning Soldier Girl because she **is** so serious and regimented. She has a hard time having fun. She's no-nonsense and has a...uh...," here Sazh broke eye contact, "bit of a temper." He matched gazes with them again. "That's gotten her in trouble with the foster care agency, and that's why I'm asking you all to take them in instead of pushing them back into the system like most would. You're registered with their agency, and if the girls are already placed, the caseworker won't fight it." Sazh sighed again. "She and Lightnin' don't see eye to eye on most things."

Eyes widened, startled. Hope kept his thoughts to himself. _A 'bit of a temper?' Enough to intimidate the caseworker? What would that mean for us?_ He took the picture showing the girls together and looked at it again. Lightning's protective hovering by Serah struck a chord in the boy. _I wonder if she'll protect me the way she does Serah. It would be nice to not be on my own._ Decision made, he turned to his parents and Sazh. "I like the idea."

Nora's relieved grin brightened the room. "It's settled, then. When do you think we can meet them, Sazh? They have to agree, too." She turned sparkling eyes on the man beside her.

"We've discussed the situation at home, and Lightning has been chomping at the bit like a chocobo on greens to run out on her own." The middle aged man held his hand up to forestall any concerns. "Don't worry. I put that thought to rest when I reminded her the social workers would separate her and Serah by placing her in a group home while her sister went into a regular home placement if she did something like that."

Bartholomew and Nora exchanged glances. Hope noticed and started to worry at their pensive expressions. _If she wants to be on her own so badly, that doesn't bode well for us._

Sazh sensed the same thing. "Lightning won't leave Serah. If Serah agrees, Lightning will come with her."

"That's not very convincing, Sazh." Bartholomew's even tone hid a rising concern. He worked long hours, and if the older sister was as much of a handful as Sazh implied he wasn't sure this was a good move for his family or the girls in question. His wife caught his concern immediately.

Nora spoke again. "Bartholomew, the girls need a stable home where they feel safe." She placed her hand on her husband's arm again while reaching her other hand to Hope, who grasped it. "They've suffered a horrendous loss, and Lightning is only watching out for her sister while trying to protect herself. We can provide a safe place where they can heal." She smiled.

"Alright. If **both** girls agree, we'll sign the paperwork and take them in." The elder Estheim looked steadily at his friend. "If either of them are reluctant or refuse, we'll honor their wishes."

"Fair enough." Sazh held his hand out for Bartholomew to shake then shook hands with Nora then with Hope. As he walked out the door, his relief was reflected in his expression and his thoughts. _There you go, girls. I got you a home just like I promised. All_ _ **you**_ _have to do is behave, Lightning._

* * *

 **Katzroy Residence, Bodhum**

"What do you mean we have to meet with these people?" Lightning's sharp tone cut across Sazh's explanations like glass. "We're perfectly fine here, Sazh." She turned to level her aqua blue gaze on her guardian. _No point in making another move anyway. No one else_ _ **wants**_ _m—_ _us._ She ignored the emotional stab the thought dealt her.

"No. You're not, Lightnin'." Sazh sighed.

"I'll just have to look out for me and Serah then." Lightning flung her empty overnight bag to the head of the bed before flopping at the foot. "The GC is hiring..."

"You're not entering the military at **fifteen**!" Aggravation rose in Sazh quickly. _This is why I can't keep you. I get too frustrated too easily. And I'm just too tired. I can't keep up with this girl!_

"I'm not entering the Corps! I'm just gonna work with them until I can join."

"You have school to finish first, Soldier Girl." The older man lifted a hand to place on the teen's shoulder. She stood abruptly and moved away from him. _Standoffish as always._ Shaking his head, he let his hand fall. "The Estheims will be here any minute, now, and we're going to spend the weekend with them so you can get to know each other." He shook a finger at her. "You're going to be on your best behavior. Y'hear?"

"Yeah. Whatever." The older Farron crossed her arms over her torso and turned away.

Faced with her unrelenting back, Sazh decided to treat her recalcitrant attitude as a positive. "Good. Now pack your bag, and we'll call it good." He left the room to the two pink-haired girls.

Serah shook her head at her sister. "Light. Let's try." Her gaze on the floor, she continued. "I don't want to be taken from you or sent somewhere else by myself." Tears raced down her cheeks.

Lightning looked over. Her sister's tears wrung her heart. _I'm sorry. This is my fault. I'll protect you, Serah._ She walked over, sat next to the twelve year old, and wrapped her arm awkwardly around the other girl. "Alright. We'll give this a try." A twisted smile struggled to right itself. "Help me pack?"

Wiping her tears with trembling hands, Serah nodded and allowed a shaky grin to appear. "You know it." She bounced to her feet and strode to her sister's dresser. Lightning calmed as Serah's voice gained strength. "Left on your own, you'd forget something." The younger pulled open the top drawer and began pulling out socks and underclothes.

"I would not." Lightning stood and started to stuff her clothes into her pack. She watched as Serah moved to the closet. A knock at their front door broke the quiet that settled between the sisters. _Great. They're here._

"Girls! Get yourselves down here! The Estheims are here!" Sazh's bellow echoed up the stairs. The sound of the door opening soon followed.

"Go ahead, Serah. I'll be down in a minute." Lightning gave her sister a gentle push toward their door. Serah nodded and skipped out the door and down the stairs. Lightning heard her soft voice tell their guests and Sazh that Lightning was just finishing up her packing and would be right down. She continued to pull clothes from the closet muttering all the while. "I don't know why we have to leave. I thought Sazh **wanted** us." She sighed and fought her tears back. _I thought I'd found a place to belong._

Lightning finished her packing. She gathered her composure and slung the bag over her shoulder. The fifteen year old young woman, no longer a girl, walked heavily toward the undesired company. She stopped within the shadows of the stairwell to watch Sazh's guests. Their easy familiarity made her cringe. _Friends, I guess. That explains a lot._

Quietly, Sazh's Soldier Girl observed the Estheim family. The man was reserved even as he chatted with Sazh. His bespectacled face spoke of a solemn nature. The petite woman next to him was speaking with Serah, who seemed very comfortable in their presence. A frisson of betrayal coated the elder sister's insides at the sight. Narrowed blue eyes moved on to the petite boy who resembled his mother standing in his parents' shadows. She gave a start as she met curious green eyes. Her eyes widened when he sent her a clandestine wave and shy smile. She narrowed her eyes again in threat and was surprised when all he did was smile wider. _What is_ _ **his**_ _problem?!_

Another knock sounded at the door. Lightning jumped, startled a third time in as many minutes much to her embarrassment. She quickly spoke up, "I've got it." Her sense of outrage quieted as the adults were caught by surprise, and Serah stifled a giggle behind her hands. _It's not all bad if Serah can laugh._

The fifteen year old walked to the door and pulled it open without looking. On the other side stood her and Serah's caseworker, Jihl Nabaat. Lightning's entire body stiffened.

Hope watched the older girl glide toward the door and open it. _She's amazing. So calm and collected._ He took a few steps toward her when he noticed her abrupt change in demeanor. _What happened?_ The boy stopped cold when he heard her clipped words directed to the statuesque woman on the other side of the threshold.

"What are **you** doing here?" Frigid words laced with a spark of threat broke the silence with bitter intent. Hope was struck by the similarities between the confrontation unfolding in front of him and a storm with lightning crackling to the ground alongside falling ice.

Sazh approached and tried to run interference between the two women at the door. "Now, Lightning, why don't you go say hi to Bartholomew and Nora while I speak with Ms. Nabaat?" The stranger's olivine eyes crinkled in the corners as she removed her glasses. She looked up and into the house. Lightning stiffened further which Hope didn't think was possible.

Lightning refused to budge. "Not until she answers my question." Her hostile tone brought the elder Estheims and Serah to the door as well. Serah reached out and grasped her sister's hand. Hope noticed she calmed down once that happened.

Ms. Nabaat tapped her chin with the arm of her glasses keeping her focus on Sazh. "Why don't we all have a seat? I need to have a little chat with the Estheims before they can take custody of the Farron girls." She turned a mocking gaze on the elder sister. "Full disclosure **is** the law."

 _What is she talking about?_ Hope watched Lightning's response to the older woman's taunting. _Is she ok?_

White-hot rage flashed in Lightning's eyes before her shoulders drooped in defeat. This wasn't the first time Jihl Nabaat had done something like this—walked into a prospective foster home and used the words 'full disclosure' to justify tearing what little stability she and Serah had away from them. _Why can't she just leave well enough alone? Fucking bitch!_

The elder sister pulled the younger along behind her toward the living area. They sat huddled together in the far corner of the couch. This time Serah wrapped her arms around Lightning in comfort. Sazh followed close behind and sat in a chair. He gestured his guests onto the couch and the loveseat.

For his part, Hope did not like what he saw. Worse, he couldn't decipher his parents' thoughts on the matter. It was a toss up if their bewildered expressions stemmed from Ms. Nabaat's surprise visit, Lightning's sudden attitude change, or Sazh's quietly fuming countenance. _Maybe it's all three. We didn't tell the agency we were meeting with Sazh, Lightning, and Serah today. So how did they find out?_ The teen settled into a spot on the couch close to Lightning while his parents took up residence on the loveseat where they could watch all parties to the discussion.

He almost wished the older girl would glare at him like before when she refused to meet his eyes. Serah caught his gaze and shook her head a bit in warning. He gave a slight nod. _Right. Let's not make her any more uncomfortable._ He turned his attention to the caseworker watching his parents like a hawk.

"You may be surprised to hear that Cl—" Jihl stopped, eyes widening, as a low-level, feral growl escaped the girl in question. "I'm sorry." She cleared her throat in an effort to regain control of the conversation. She started again. "You may be surprised to hear that **Lightning** ," her tone scoffed at the girl's chosen name, "has been in foster care for eight months. In that time she has bounced herself and Serah through twelve foster homes and had two adoptions rescinded while in process." Her eyes crinkled at the corners again as Lightning flinched at the honest, yet horrifically deficient, assessment.

Hard eyes and false sincerity met his parents' concerned faces. "Every one of the families was more than willing to keep Serah. It was Lightning who was the troublemaker, the problem child." She looked at the sulking girl. "It was Lightning who..."

Visibly upset, Sazh stepped in. "Now wait just a minute..."

"Am I wrong? Am I lying? I have the girls' files right here with me." Jihl nodded as Sazh sank back into his chair demoralized. "The Estheims have the right to know the temperaments of the children they're wanting to foster, and I have the responsibility to disclose everything relating to the girls' behavior."

Hope seethed as he watched the older girl sink into herself further. Normally a placid person, the depth of his anger and frustration surprised him. He stole a glance at his parents and was gratified to see his mother watching Lightning's reactions as well. _Mom will set this right. She always does._ He turned his gaze to his father. His optimism died upon seeing his father carefully considering Ms. Nabaat's words.

"Ms. Nabaat. What, exactly, has Lightning's behavior been like in the past?" Bartholomew was careful to keep his voice neutral. Hope's glare did not go unnoticed by the man. Neither did Lightning's stoic retreat into her sister's protective embrace.

"Well. There was the time she destroyed every dish in the house of her first foster home in a fit of anger. According to the family's report, one of their children teased her as children tend to do and she overreacted." Jihl looked consideringly into the distance. Nora's lips thinned in disapproval. Whether of the destruction or the 'teasing' and how it was handled, Hope couldn't tell. He watched, helpless, as Lightning began to tremble.

"Then there was the time she got into three fist fights at school in a week. She said it was because they were bullying, but the teachers said there was no evidence of bullying, and there was no record that she spoke to either her foster family or reported it to school authorities." The woman looked at the now-furious teen girl. A slight smile tipped her lips up as Lightning fisted her hands. "The injuries sustained by two of the children involved in the altercation warranted emergency medical treatment." Bartholomew gazed at Lightning as if he was looking at her for the first time.

Nabaat turned her attention back to Nora and Bartholomew. "She's attacked me on several occasions. You heard her defiance just minutes ago." She sighed. "That's how all our confrontations begin."

Lightning couldn't take it anymore. She wrenched herself away from a sobbing Serah. The Estheims, even Sazh, were taken aback by the sudden shift from passive to aggressive. They all sat frozen as the fifteen year old stormed into Jihl's personal space. Her eerily quiet words clashed with the clear threat she presented. "Why don't you just say it, Nabaat?" She spat.

Jihl countered coldly, "That's ' **Ms.** Nabaat'." She stood her ground against the enraged young woman before her.

Lightning hissed the rest as Hope listened, dumbfounded. "I'm a fuck up. Fine. Whatever." Serah flung herself from the couch before Hope could stop her and raced up the stairs. The girls' bedroom door slammed shut.

The elder sister's voice began to rise, cracking from emotion along the way. "Why do you have to do this to Serah, too? Why can't you just **leave us alone?!** "

Sazh spoke up and tried to defuse the situation. "Lightnin'. Come on, now..."

"Save it, Sazh!" Her sharp tone cut him off.

Bartholomew's brows rose toward his hairline in surprise. His son smirked at the reaction. _That's right, dad. She's_ _ **not**_ _defenseless. Why didn't anyone else see that in the pictures?_

"Respect is required from you, girl." Jihl glared at her. She shifted her attention to Bartholomew, the most sympathetic person in the room. "Do you really want someone as volatile, as **unstable** , as Lightning Farron in your home? With your son and wife? Imagine the..."

This time it was Hope's tolerance that was exceeded. "There's nothing wrong with her!" Hope ignored his father calling his name. _You taught me to fight for what matters, dad. You can't stop me, now._

"Why don't you just leave her alone, like she said?" Lightning watched the smaller boy confront her nemesis on her behalf. His ferocious sincerity left her speechless.

"You are too young to understand..." Hope took a page out of Lightning's book and cut the woman off.

"To understand you're a bully and hate a fifteen year old girl for no good reason?" He glared at Jihl. "I understand **plenty**. I deal with people like you every day in school." Hope turned his glare on his parents. "You said I had a say, too. I say Serah and Lightning live with us if that's what they want."

Bartholomew gazed at his son, a conflicting mixture of pride and torment swirling in his eyes. "Hope. Son." Torn between his morals and his fears, he floundered to a stop.

Nora reached over and placed her hand over his. "No, Bartholomew. Hope is right." Mrs. Estheim turned to the young woman caught between her fight and flight instincts. "We can provide a safe place for these girls to heal if they wish to live with us." She turned back to her husband. Green eyes steady on hazel, she looked at him, all the love and pride she felt for him shining brightly.

Bartholomew closed his eyes and nodded. He turned to Jihl. "We make these decisions as a family, Ms. Nabaat. I'm sure you can relate." His quiet sarcasm was not lost on anyone, least of all the sisters whose fate rested in his family's hands.

Jihl bowed in acquiescence. "Suit yourself. Once the papers are signed, you're responsible for the girls for at least a year. That's agency policy once a child exceeds the caseworker's 'reasonable placement' numbers."

Nora nodded and murmured, "Of course." A wry smile pulled the corners of her lips up as the disgruntled caseworker left to get the paperwork from her vehicle.

Serah crept down the stairs and stopped in the shadows to watch the others. She noticed Lightning stood gazing with bewildered wonder at Hope. He returned the elder sister's regard with a triumphant grin. Serah giggled at the sight. She slowly approached her sister. "What do you say, Sis? Shall we give it a try?"

Lightning shook herself out of her stupor. "Yeah. I guess so." She smiled. "It can't hurt. Right?"

"That's quite the commitment, there, Soldier Girl." Sazh wrapped both girls up in a hug. "You sure you're gonna survive?"

A pained grimace passed over Lighting's expression. "It's what I do, Sazh."

Hope edged closer and linked his hand with hers as Serah did the same on the other side. The teen boy took comfort in the gentle smile on Serah's face even as Lightning looked at him with an emotion somewhere between affront and astonishment. He smiled softly at her.

Jihl Nabaat returned with the forms. Sazh, the Estheims, and the Farron sisters all finished the bits they were required to before Sazh gleefully escorted the caseworker out the door. Once that was accomplished, he looked at his guests. "Well, we ready to get this weekend started?"

"Yeah." The teens spoke together. The rest of their company laughed at their embarrassment.

Lightning had one last thought before walking out of the door to begin yet another journey. _Maybe_ _ **this**_ _time things won't be so bad._


End file.
